China’s CNOOC Ltd has completed its first wildcat offshore Gabon and is now drilling ahead on its second frontier probe in the West African nation.

These are the first deep-water wells to be drilled in the country for years, with most exploration activity to date centred on shallow-water operations controlled by the likes of Perenco, BW Energy and Vaalco.

Drilled by drillship Stena IceMax, CNOOC Ltd’s Tigre-1 probe spudded in Block BC-9 at the end of January and was completed in mid-February.