Neptune Energy company announced that it started drilling the Dugong exploration well in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, a press release reported.

According to the press release, the drilling program will be implemented by Deepsea Yantai and it will encompass a main bore with a down-dip side track, subject to the results of the main bore.

Neptune’s Director of Exploration and Development in Norway, Steinar Meland, commented “A discovery in Dugong could open up new and exciting opportunities in surrounding licenses, making it an important well in establishing a new core area for Neptune in Norway.”

He added that “this activity underlines the importance of the region to Neptune’s geographically-diverse portfolio.”

Dugong is the first operated exploration well drilled by Neptune in the northern North Sea since the Duva discovery in 2016 and it is located 158 kilometers west of Florø, Norway, at a water depth of 330 meters.