The second drill rig to be used in the 2004/05 campaign, the Stena Tay, is expected to arrive around September 15.

Woodside will use two rigs for batch drilling of wells, with one rig performing the same operation on a number of wells in sequence rather than drilling a single well from top to bottom.

The West Navigator will drill the top-hole sections of a number of exploration and appraisal wells. Following completion of the top holes, the wells will be temporarily suspended before the drilling of the bottom hole target sections by the Stena Tay.

Top hole drilling of the exploration wells Dorade, Capitaine, Tevet and the Tiof-A appraisal well will be done by the West Navigator which will then move to completely drill the Tiof-3 appraisal well on the Tiof discovery.

The Stena Tay will then commence its drilling activities with a development well on the Chinguetti field in PSC Area B, followed by the bottom holes on the wells commenced by the West Navigator.

As previously reported the drilling program will include up to twenty one wells, including a total of six exploration wells in PSC’s A, B and Block 2, four appraisal wells on the Tiof discovery and eleven Chinguetti development wells.

The final prospect selection and well drilling sequence will be subject to change dependent on continuing technical work, initial drilling results and operational issues.

To maintain the Chinguetti field development schedule and because of the late arrival of the rigs, the “Stena Tay” will, on arrival, drill a Chinguetti water injection well before beginning the exploration program.

Australian companies dominate the joint venture with Woodside holding 53.846% of the project, Hardman Resources holding 21.6%, BG Group 11.63%, Premier 9.231% (UK) and Roc Oil 3.693%.