Japan Exploration Co. Ltd. has spudded an exploratory well 50 km offshore the Hidaka area of Hokkaido, Japan.
The drilling was commissioned by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) of the Ministry of Economy.
ANRE selected the location after acquiring geophysical data with its Shigen seismic vessel.
The Ensco 8504 semisubmersible rig is drilling the well in 1,070 m of water. Target depth is 2,000 m below seabottom.
