Tullow Oil's global operations.

Tullow Oil plc announced today that the G1 well, located in Block CB-ON/1 onshore India, failed to encounter oil and has been plugged and abandoned. PetroNeft Resources reports a similar result in Western Siberia.

the company said drilling operations at G1 commenced on 16 August and reached a total depth of 2,300m on 8 September. This latest well in the current campaign was drilled in the northern part of the CB-ON/1 block. The rig will now move to the site of the geologically independent F1 prospect, which lies in the south of the block. Drilling is expected to commence in late September and is scheduled to continue for approximately four weeks.

PetroNeft Resources plc said today that it has completed the drilling and testing of the primary reservoir target at West Korchegskaya No. 1 which was drilled in Licence 61, Tomsk Oblast, Western Siberia.

The primary target of the well was the Upper Jurassic sandstones of the Vasyugan Formation (J1 interval).  These sandstones were not developed in the well and the well did not test hydrocarbons at this interval. 

This well, which completes the company's six well exploration drilling commitment for the full 25 years of the Licence, is currently being drilled to basement in line with licence requirements. A number of high risk secondary objectives will be tested during this phase, PetroNeft said.

Dennis Francis, Chief Executive Officer of PetroNeft Resources plc commented: "We are disappointed with results from the primary objective of the West Korchegskaya well, which represent the only instance where this interval was not developed as a reservoir in the six wells drilled to date by PetroNeft on Licence 61. However we have gathered valuable data which will be incorporated into our regional geologic model to better direct our future exploration drilling, which include high-impact prospects testing plays independent of those encountered at this location.

In the immediate future, our efforts are focused on achieving production during 2009 from the four proven oil fields in Licence 61, and on the ongoing diversification, growth and development of the Group's business in Western Siberia."