Zion Oil & Gas has spudded the Megiddo-Jezreel #1 onshore well situated in Jezreel Valley, Israel.
Zion is using Dafora’s F-400 drilling rig to drill the deep onshore well. With a 3,000HP capacity, the rig is capable of drilling to more than 7,000m (~23,000ft).
The company is planning to drill the onshore well with a target depth of up to 4,500m (~15,000ft).
Zion is taking the support of service providers such as Halliburton, Baker Hughes and Weatherford to drill the Megiddo-Jezreel #1 well.
The firm intends to drill multiple wells at the pad site, based on the results of the planned exploratory well.
According to the company, various subsurface geologic targets can be reached using directional trajectories for subsequent wells.
In 2015, an independent study was carried out by the consulting company Beicip-Franlab, which revealed that around .6 billion barrels of oil can be discovered in the offshore portion of Levant Basin in Israel.
Though onshore, the Jezreel License area is completely situated within the Levant Basin.
Zion Oil & Gas CEO Victor Carrillo said: "It has been a complicated and difficult multi-year journey to get to this point, but our entire team is very excited to see this project finally come to fruition.
Zion president and COO Dustin Guinn said: "The process to finally be able to start drilling has been met with obstacles and patience-testing trials, but we believe we have assembled a team that is very hard working and committed. “
Zion is largely focusing on the on the Megiddo-Jezreel License, with an area of about 99,000 acres. Most of the area is located south and west of the Sea of Galilee.
Image: Zion Oil & Gas has spudded the Megiddo-Jezreel #1 onshore well. Photo: courtesy of Zion Oil & Gas, Inc.