Statoil said that the Julia discovery well is located in 2000 meters of water and was drilled to a total depth of 9500 meters. Further appraisal drilling is planned in 2008 to determine the extent of the discovery. Julia is the first well drilled under an exploration agreement between StatoilHydro and ExxonMobil.
The Norwegian company said that it will be developing two additional discoveries, Jack and St Malo, in the same area. Both are scheduled to come on stream post 2013.
Helen Butcher, Statoil’s exploration manager for deepwater Gulf of Mexico, said: This is a promising oil discovery. StatoilHydro is a major lease holder in Walker ridge. This discovery supports our firm belief in this area.
