PJSC Lukoil has made a natural gas discovery 170 km offshore Romania in the Black Sea.
The Lira-1X exploratory well, drilled on the Trident block (EX-30), found a gas-saturated thickness of 46 m while being drilled 2,700 m by Transocean Ltd.’s GSF Development Driller II semisubmersible rig. Water depth is 700 m.
Lukoil said seismic data indicate the gas field can reach up to 39 sq km. Plans for 2016 include drilling another well and reprocessing seismic data.
The exploration stems from a 2011 concession agreement with Romania (OGJ Online, Feb. 24, 2011). Partners are Lukoil Overseas Atash BV 72%, PanAtlantic Petroleum Ltd. 18%, and Societatea Nationale de Gaze Naturale Romgaz SA 10%.
