Weeks after the discovery at Jethro Lobe, Tullow and its partners have begun drilling the Joe prospect offshore Guyana.

According to partner Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas, Joe-1 was spud at 14.45hrs (Local Guyana time) on 25 August 2019 using the Stena Forth drillship, which previously drilled the recently announced Jethro discovery.

It was indicated that the well will take approximately three weeks to drill.

Joe is the second of the two-well drill programme in Guyana for this year and according to Eco, the company is fully funded for a further six potential exploration, appraisal or development wells on the Orinduik Block.

Colin Kinley, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas said "We are very pleased to have spudded on Sunday our second exploration well on Orinduik. After the discovery made on Jethro in the Lower Tertiary, which greatly derisked that age section throughout the block, we are now moving to an Upper Tertiary target in the Joe prospect where we are targeting over 100mmboe. If a further discovery is made, it will further enhance the value of the block with this shallower play. The estimated chance of success for Joe is the same as Jethro, although it is a completely different play, and we are confident in our 3D interpretation as we were ahead of the Jethro-1 discovery.

"We look forward to continued success in our exploration efforts as we move forward to define the plays available to us in all the various geological ages and to develop this block."