Circle Oil plc, the international oil and gas exploration and development company, declares that following receipt of the necessary new approvals and completion of on-site civil engineering works and rig maintenance, its partner, EXXOIL Tunisia, has commenced drilling on the Serdouk prospect in the Grombalia permit in northern Tunisia. Circle holds a 36% working interest in this permit.

The Serdouk prospect is a three-way dip closure with a large throw strike slip fault on its northern boundary. The reservoir objectives are the Lower Eocene Bou Dabbous fractured limestone, which is oil productive at the Belli, Beni Khalled and Al Manzah fields, and the secondary target is the Abbiod Limestone, which is a known gas and oil producing formation 8km to the south east of the Serdouk prospect.

The decision to drill Serdouk before the previously indicated Bayoub prospect (formerly named Mellah) was made by the partners following the incorporation of newly acquired historical 3D seismic data results into the geological interpretations for the Serdouk prospect.

Tags: Circle Oil plc