Sierra Leone: Lukoil starts exploration drilling

Russia’s Lukoil has spudded a deep-water well on the Savannah prospect on Block SL-5-11, using the Eirik Raude rig. The well, which spudded on 12 September, will be drilled to more than 4,700 metres, in water depths exceeding 2,000 metres. Lukoil took over as block operator in June 2011, alongside Nigeria’s Oranto Petroleum, and PanAtlantic Energy, the successor company to Vanco Energy Company.