Aberdeen-based offshore drilling contractor Stena Drilling has dispatched its Stena Forth drillship to Astilleros Canarios (Astican) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, for a special periodic survey (SPS). Following this survey, the rig will proceed to Morocco for a drilling assignment with London-based Energean.After completing its drilling campaign with Shell in Egypt, the Stena Forth underwent the SPS at the Astican shipyard before setting course for the Anchois gas field. This sixth-generation harsh environment dual-activity dynamically positioned (DP3) drillship, built in 2009, has operated in 14 countries.In Morocco, the Stena Forth will execute a one-well firm program for Energean, which has recently assumed the operator role at two offshore licenses from Chariot, including the Lixus block where the Anchois gas development project is situated, and the Rissana license.

The drilling of the Anchois East appraisal well and a drill stem test on the main gas-containing sands are scheduled for the third quarter of 2024, targeting an additional 11 billion cubic meters of gross unrisked prospective resource.Energean holds 45% and 37.5% interests in the Lixus and Rissana licenses respectively, while Chariot holds 30% and 37.5%, and ONHYM maintains a 25% stake in each. The agreement with Energean also includes an option for an additional well in Morocco, making Stena Forth the third rig in Stena Drilling’s fleet hired by Energean, following the Stena DrillMAX and Stena IceMAX.