Drilling in block 10 began

The Stena Icemax drillship leased by ExxonMobil, arrived last week in Cyprus and began drilling in Cyprus’ offshore block 10, named by ExxonMobil as ‘Delphine’ after the Greek mythology dolphin-shaped sea daemon that was in the service of Poseidon.

On Friday, 16 November, Energy Minister, Mr. Giorgos Lakkotrypis announced:

“I can confirm that drilling at the Delphine target of block 10 has begun.”

The drilling is expected to last approximately two months, depending on the speed of winds, pressure as well as hard rock that can be found during drilling.

The drilling rig will descend about two kilometres to the bottom and about two to three kilometers further.

After completing drilling in Delphine, the ExxonMobil drilling rig will proceed to either ‘Glafkos’ or ‘Anthea’ plots, the choice ultimately depending on the findings of the first drilling in Delphine.

The drilling will be assisted by scientific staff, based in the US and the UK, who will analyze the drilling results.

The commercial viability of the natural gas to be found will depend on factors such as the quantity and quality of the natural gas as well as the depth at which it will be found.