Discovery in Deepwater Gulf of Mexico

StatoilHydro, operator Anadarko and partners have made a discovery in the Heidelberg prospect in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

The Heidelberg well is located in Green Canyon block 859 about 16 kilometers south of the Caesar discovery. The well was drilled to a total depth of about 9,000 meters and encountered some 60 meters of oil pay.

The operator has announced plans for an appraisal well at Heidelberg scheduled for the second half of 2009.

"Heidelberg is a promising discovery located close to several other finds and the current Tahiti development in which StatoilHydro has a working interest," said Helen Butcher, StatoilHydro's general manager for exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Heidelberg is a part of the Miocene play known for high quality sands," Ms Butcher said. "StatoilHydro is already partner in some of the largest discoveries in this area and we look forward to adding this one to our list of future projects."

StatoilHydro has a 12% working interest in Heidelberg. The other partners are Anadarko, Mariner Energy, ENI, ExxonMobil and Cobalt International Energy.