Cairn Energy is to drill an appraisal well on the Spanish Point discovery offshore Ireland using the Blackford Dolphin semisubmersible drilling rig.
Spanish Point, in license FEL 2/04, is a gas and condensate field, made by Phillips in 1981, with exploration well 35/8-2. It is at the northern end of the Porcupine Basin in about 400m of water.
The Blackford Dolphin, an enhanced Aker H3 deepwater semisubmersible, is due to mobilize to begin operations on the well in Q2 2014.
Cairn was recently approved as operator on the license after completing a farm-in, which gained it 38% working interest in licences FEL 2/04 and FEL 4/08.
The other partners in the licenses are Chrysaor (26%), Providence Resources (32%) and SOSINA Exploration (4%).