Rockhopper Exploration commences Abu Sennan drilling campaign in Egypt

LONDON -- Rockhopper Exploration, the oil and gas company with key interests in the North Falkland basin and the Greater Mediterranean region, has announced the commencement of the 2017 drilling campaign on the Abu Sennan Concession in Egypt, in which the Company has a 22% working interest.

Exploration well Al Jahraa SE-2X, situated on the recently awarded Abu Sennan-5 (Al Jahraa South East) Development Lease, was spudded on April 25, 2017 by the Operator Kuwait Energy, as part of a two-well drilling campaign.

The well will target the Cretaceous Abu Roash-C reservoir in the fault block immediately to the south of the Al Jahraa South East discovery location where, if successful, it could add over 20 MMbbl to the development lease.

The well is anticipated to take approximately 40 days to drill and evaluate, and in the success case would be immediately completed as an oil producer.

Following completion of the Al Jahraa SE-2X well, the rig will move to the Al Jahraa-9 location to drill a development well, which will target the AR-C reservoir at a location deeper than the current deepest oil penetration at Al Jahraa-4. The aim will be to demonstrate the connection between the Al Jahraa and Al Jahraa South East fields through the oil leg.

In addition, the operator has proposed two work-over operations during second-quarter 2017.

The outcome of the above program will inform partner discussions regarding appropriate activities in the second half of the year.