Joint venture partner Otto said the well flowed dry gas at rates of up to 3.8 million cubic feet per day over the interval 444-453m.

The interval is one of three gas pay zones in the well and the gas flow rate is the highest seen so far from the Edirne Wells, the company added.

Otto chief executive Alex Parks said the Ikihoyuk-1 test confirms significant flow potential and is another important step toward the commercialisation of gas in the Edirne license.

Ikihoyuk-1 was the first well drilled in a five-well exploration campaign designed to prove up significant volumes of gas to enable a combination of gas discoveries to be placed on production by mid-2009.

The Ikihoyuk-1, the recently drilled Kuzey Arpaci-1 and the original discovery well Arpaci, will be production tested in the coming weeks.

The drilling rig will then return to the Arpaci-2 location to re-drill the gas well.

Arpaci-2 was plugged back due to high pressures and substantial mud losses in the well bore.

The well will be redrilled with an amended casing and drilling mud program to accommodate the high gas pressures.

Incremental holds a 55% stake in the Edirne licence, Otto Energy has 35% and a Turkish company, Petraco, holds the remaining 10%.