The company told the market yesterday that this section contained the hardest rocks to drill in the well.

“They form the major part of the pressure barrier maintaining the overpressures in the underlying granite fractures,” Geodynamics said.

“The rock temperature at this depth is 217C based on previous logging of the Habanero-1 well.”

Yesterday, the well was about 850m away from the total planned depth of 4300m.

Geodynamics said it had made “a number” of drill bit changes in the past two weeks, since making its last announcement.

“Each change takes around 24 hours, being the time to pull pipe out of hole, change the drilling bit and re-run back in ready to recommence drilling.

“There remain 340 metres to complete the current 12 ¼-inch section, which will then be cased and cemented before the final 8½-inch open hole section in the granite is drilled.”