Oil and gas company Neptune Energy has spun its drill-bit at the Hamlet exploration well in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

The well – designated 35/9-16S – is being drilled by the Deepsea Yantai, a semi-submersible rig owned by CIMC and operated by Odfjell Drilling. The Hamlet prospect is located around 4.5 miles north of the Gjøa field within the Neptune-operated PL153 license.

It is worth noting that Neptune secured a drilling permit for the well from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate earlier this month.

“Hamlet is an interesting prospect, and it is in keeping with our exploration strategy of focusing on opportunities within core areas near existing infrastructure. This can offer a short lead time from discovery to production, reduce costs and carbon emissions and help mature and replenish our current licenses,” Neptune Energy’s Director of Subsurface in Norway, Steinar Meland, said.

According to the company, in the event of a commercial discovery, the Hamlet prospect could be tied back to the Neptune-operated Gjøa platform and produced with less than half the average CO2 emissions on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Located 36 miles west of Florø, Norway, at a water depth of 1,175 feet, Hamlet is positioned in one of Neptune’s core areas and is close to existing infrastructure. The reservoir target is the Lower Cretaceous Agat Formation and is expected to be reached at a depth of approximately 8,530 feet.

The drilling program comprises a main-bore (35/9-16S) with an optional side-track (35/9-16A) based on the outcome of the exploration well.

Neptune Energy is the operator of the license with 30 percent interest. Its partners are Petoro, Wintershall Dea, and OKEA with 30, 28, and 12 percent respectively.

As for the Gjøa field, Neptune recently opened up two new subsea fields – Duva and Gjøa P1 – both tied back to the Gjøa platform.

Neptune also operates the Fenja development project and the Dugong discovery. The company is a partner in several producing fields – Brage, Draugen, Fram, Gudrun, Hyme, Ivar Aasen, Njord, and Snøhvit. The Bauge field in which Neptune is also a partner is under development.

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