BP has begun drilling its North Uist prospect offshore in the West of Shetland area, the major's first deepwater well off the UK since its 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster and spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP's drilling partners Faroe Petroleum said Monday.
The UK government gave it the go-ahead last week to drill the controversial deepwater exploration well off the Shetland Islands, which had been delayed by safety concerns in the wake of BP's Gulf of Mexico spill.
BP's North Uist exploration well will test a large oil prospect 125 km (77.5 miles) northwest of the Shetland Islands in Atlantic waters some 1,300 meters deep.
"We are very pleased to announce the spudding of this frontier exploration well in one of our core areas. The North Uist prospect offers significant resource potential and is in close proximity to a number of important discoveries on the Atlantic Margin Corona Ridge, including Rosebank and Cambo," Faroe CEO Graham Stewart said in a statement.
BP said last week it expects to take "a number of months" to complete the North Uist exploration well.
BP operates Block 213/25c, with a 47.5% interest and its partnered by Nexen (35%), Faroe Petroleum (6.25%), Cieco Exploration and Production (6.25%), and Idemitsu (5%).
