Inpex has completed a drilling operation offshore Japan, the aim of which was to establish the presence of oil and gas in the area offshore Shimane and Yamaguchi prefectures.
According to the Japanese agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE), the drilling operation unearthed samples of rock and a large amount of data considered valuable in determining the oil and natural gas situation in the area.
In addition, the operation confirmed a thin layer of gas at the shallow section of the seabed as well as an indication of gas at the section immediately deeper than the shallow section.
Furthermore, ANRE said that there was a strong indication of gas, beyond initial expectations, implying the existence of a layer of high-pressure gas at the deepest section of the strata.
Japanese oil company Inpex used the Transocean-owned M.G. Hulme Jr. semi-submersible drilling rig.
Providing an update on future steps, ANRE said it would analyze and assess the collected data compile the survey results into a report by the end of FY2016 concerning
The agency said it hoped the results of this, government-led, project would contribute to the further exploration by other oil companies in Japan.
From FY2017 onward, ANRE said it would continue to conduct offshore drilling surveys in the sea areas around Japan.
Offshore Energy Today Staff