The casing will be run and cemented at this depth prior to the drilling into the potential reservoir section that is expected to contain hydrocarbons.
This depth is just above where the previous influx of gas was recorded.
The company said that with the top of the remaining drill pipe now at approximately 1,950m, further progress in recovering drill pipe has not been possible.
The company further stated that re-drilling the remaining section to the planned casing point will take approximately 45 days.
Sterling chief executive Angus MacAskill said that the company is pleased to have recovered drill-pipe to almost 2,000m that will allow it to side-track in the open hole below the existing casing shoe and drill a new wellbore to the planned casing point with the same 8.5 inch hole size as the original wellbore.
