Equinor in April will begin drilling the Argerich-1 exploration well in the CAN 100 block in the North Argentinian basin, offshore Argentina.
The well will be drilled 315 km from the port of Mar del Plata by the Valaris DS-17 drillship in 1,527 m water depth. It will be the first to be drilled in the country in ultra-deep waters. The well is expected to reach about 2,500 m in depth and 106 cm in diameter at the sediment surface. Drilling work is estimated to take 55-65 days.
If the presence of oil is confirmed, Equinor and partners are expected to carry out an appraisal campaign in 2025 to gather technical data including field size and potential productivity.
The Argerich project is operated by Equinor with 35% interest. Partners are YPF (35%) and Shell plc (30%).