B-6A – the first in a six-well program aimed at evaluating a range of targets in differing structural and stratigraphic settings – reached measured depth of 8,026 feet.

“The logs confirm that good quality reservoir sands were drilled at the primary objective levels, however these contained low saturation or “fizz” gas, which is not commercially producible,” Horizon said.

“The B-6A well was designed to evaluate these objectives in a structural position down-dip from the existing discovery wells.”

The B-6A wellbore has been plugged back. The next well to be drilled, the B-6D, will use the same surface casing string as the B-6A and target objectives higher up on the field structure.

Drilling of B-6D began over the weekend with the Ensco-57 jack-up rig and should take about 10 days to drill, according to Horizon.

The initial focus of the joint venture, in which Horizon Oil has a 25% interest, is to appraise the Bussabong and Chang Daeng gas discoveries on Block B12/32 and B11/38 respectively, with the objective of proving sufficient reserves for early development.

The longer term plan is to explore for large scale gas reserves in the southern Gulf of Thailand in a defined area of mutual interest which offsets the blocks.

Horizon Oil has farmed into a 25% interest in two concessions, offshore Gulf of Thailand. Tana Exploration Company LLC, whose majority shareholder, TRT Holdings, Inc, is also a cornerstone investor in Horizon Oil, is also farming into a 25% interest.

The interests will be earned from the operator, a subsidiary of Pearl Energy Ltd, a leading South East Asian exploration and production company. The farminees will partially funding Pearl's share of costs from a forthcoming gas exploitation drilling program.