As well as FAR’s Louisiana operations, the Eagle project in California is expected to start within weeks.

“In the US we expect to see the drilling of South Grosse Tete followed immediately by Eagle, Rainosek and Lake Long in that approximate order,” FAR’s executive chairman Michael Evans said.

“Browning Oil Company has now advised they are on schedule to release Energy Drilling Rig-7 to the South Grosse Tete venture on 20 December 2005 to drill the Schwing A-1 well.”

Permits have been issued and location building has been completed for the drilling of the Schwing A-1 well – a planned 3551-metre test of the Upthrown Bolmex section of the South Grosse Tete Prospect, expected to take 22 days to drill.

The prospect contains an estimated potential of between three and five million barrels of oil, said the company.

"The Schwing well will comprise the first phase of a three year program designed to evaluate additional deeper seismically defined objectives – now referred to as the Baist 29-1 Prospect – at the Nonion Struma, Nodosaria and Deep Wilcox intervals," Evans said.

In the San Joaquin Basin, California, the Kenai Rig-6 is expected on location to drill Eagle North-1 in early January 2006.

“After logging, provided the presence of oil in the target Gatchell sandstones is confirmed, the well will be cased and production tested for five days,” Evans said.

If the test is successful the company plan to plug back the well to drill a 300m side track horizontal lateral within the reservoir to be completed for oil and gas production.

“Economic completion of the well is likely to trigger an immediate 129 sq km 3D seismic survey for planning of up to nine, 900m long in-situ horizontal wells in the reservoir to drain the field over a 15-year production period,” Evans said.

FAR claims that the mean potential recoverable reserves for the Eagle project is 13.48 million barrels of oil and 25.18 bcf of gas. The well is expected to take less than 20 days to drill.