Shell to explore in Black Sea block offshore Bulgaria

February 23, 2016

Anglo/Dutch oil giant Shell has been awarded rights to explore for oil and gas in a deepwater block located in the Black Sea, offshore Bulgaria.

Shell won a five-year permit to explore the 1-14 Silistar block in the Black Sea where it will invest 18.6 million euros. The deal includes a two-year extension option.

The work program for the block that covers 6893 square kilometers includes conducting a seismic survey.

According to Bulgaria’s Energy Ministry, the deal was signed on Tuesday, February 23, 2016, in the presence of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova and Eileen Wilkinson, regional director at Shell International Exploration and Production.

In an email sent to Offshore Energy Today, a Shell spokesperson said: “We successfully completed a comprehensive geophysical survey in January 2017 in the Block 1-14 “Khan Kubrat” license area, within the Bulgarian sector of the Black Sea.

“We are currently in the process of preparing for a single exploration well in the Khan Kubrat Block and will conduct all necessary assessments in line with Bulgarian legislation and Shell internal procedures. The exploration drilling programme is expected to commence in 2019, and is expected to take approximately 3 to 4 months to complete, subject to final planning and approval.

Offshore Energy Today Staff