INPEX CORPORATION (INPEX) has been commissioned by the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan to drill one exploratory well for the agency’s Heisei 26~28 domestic offshore drilling programme in Japan. The objective of the drilling project is to determine the presence of hydrocarbon deposits and conduct geological studies.
The exploratory well will be drilled in a location offshore Yamaguchi and Shimane prefectures where the Japanese government conducted a geophysical survey from the seismic survey vessel Shigen in 2011 as part of its domestic oil and natural gas exploration project, and where INPEX conducted a 3D geophysical survey in 2013 based on the earlier survey.
INPEX plans to drill the exploratory well beginning in May 2016 until August 2016 at a location approximately 140km north of Yamaguchi Prefecture and approximately 130km northwest of Shimane Prefecture, where the water is 210m deep. In preparation for this, the company will undertake a site survey in August 2015 to map the subsea surface and observe currents at the location. INPEX will prioritise safety throughout the planning and execution of the project, keeping local communities fully informed and calling on their co-operation.
