Lansdowne-1 is the first well to be drilled with the Ensco-67 following a major refit in Singapore.

Expected to take 12 days to reach a total depth of 3815 metres, Lansdowne-1 is a deviated well, designed to establish whether hydrocarbons are present in the Double Island and Flag reservoirs. If successful, a development well will be drilled from the Gibson South Plato Platform.

Meanwhile, preparations are taking place on the Agincourt Platform to spud the Artreus-1 well with the Ensco 56 this week.

Also due to start this week is drilling on the Bambra-7H development well, located on the Harriet Bravo Platform, using Ensco 106.

Harriet joint venture partners are: Apache Northwest (operator – 68.5%); Kufpec Australia (19%) and Tap Oil (12%).

In other Tap news, the company has farmed-in with Nexus Energy to acquire a 25% interest in the VIC/P39(V) exploration permit in the offshore Gippsland Basin by funding a share of the Galloway-1 exploration well, which is scheduled for drilling in February 2006.

Planned for directional drilling from onshore to offshore, the Galloway structure is expected to contain over 20 million barrels of recoverable oil. If successful, Tap said the field could be developed quickly from the onshore drilling location.