The Russian oil giant on Thursday spudded its first appraisal well at the Badra oil play with more soon to follow.

Gazprom Neft hopes to reach a total depth of 4900 metres on the appraisal well, which it operates, at the end of April.

A second appraisal well is slated for drilling before the year is out while in June next year the company plans to drill a deeper appraisal well to 6200 metres to test the lower strata of the Badra deposit.

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