Neptune Energy announced drilling has begun at its operated Adorf Z17 gas appraisal well in the municipality of Georgsdorf, north western Germany.

The well is being drilled with a rig operated by KCA Deutag, with final depth of around 4,600 metres expected to be reached in October this year.

Operated with power from the grid instead of using diesel-driven generators, KCA Deutag’s rig will remove an estimated 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from the drilling operation.

Neptune Energy’s Managing Director in Germany, Andreas Scheck, said: “The Adorf Carboniferous field development is one of our most promising activities in Germany and demonstrates our desire to grow our business here.”

Neptune plans to drill a fourth well – Adorf Z18 – from the same well pad in Q4 2022.

The construction of a modern processing plant for treatment of the natural gas at the site in Georgsdorf will begin in the second half of 2022.

The Adorf Carboniferous gas field was discovered in 2020 and the first well, Adorf Z15, was brought into production in October the same year. The second well, Adorf Z16, increased Neptune’s production from the licence to around 4,500 boepd earlier this year.

Neptune Energy owns 100% of the Adorf Carboniferous gas field.