The well is located close to various oil fields, including the Tazerka, Birsa, Oudna and Halk El Menzel, as well as the Maamoura gas field.
Circle Oil CEO Chris Green said that the drilling marks the beginning of another stage in the company’s busy 2014 operational work program.
"We are very pleased to be drilling what is our first offshore well and to be working with PetroSaudi and other experienced service companies on this project."
Drilled by PetroSaudi Discoverer drillship, EMD-1 will test the play potential of the El Mediouni prospect which includes the primary Birsa Sands target and the secondary fractured carbonates of the Ketatna formation.
The company estimates that there may be approximately 46 million barrels of oil in the prospect, which it says is substantially larger than the recoverable commercial threshold of ten million barrels.
The drilling phase is anticipated to last five to seven weeks.
The company’s pre-drill P50 estimate of oil in place at the Birsa Sands is 185 million barrels and it anticipates reaching the primary target at 1,260m with the Ketatna Carbonates at 1,460m.
