Maersk Oil will drill an exploration well on the Maja license in the Danish North Sea after the Danish Energy Agency granted it a two-year extension on two licenses in the region.

The well will target a high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) prospect in the license and will be drilled within the next two years after substantial preparatory work is completed.

“We believe there is more oil and gas to be found in the Danish North Sea both in the maturely developed shallower levels and also in the less mature deeper geologic horizons. Teams that are pushing innovative new technology are behind this latest activity, continuing our exploration efforts in the Danish North Sea,” said Esbern Hoch, head of exploration for Denmark, Greenland and the Middle East North Africa region.

“We will be committing not just substantial financial resources, but also a lot of people, time and technical expertise to this project. Maersk Oil has been developing its HPHT capabilities in recent years in both Denmark and the UK and we will be drawing on this experience,” Hoch said.

The Maja license lies close to the Maersk Oil-operated Harald gas field. The well will be drilled in water depths of 50 m (164 ft) and to a total depth of around 5,000 m (16,404 ft).

PA Resources’ 26.8% share in the license has been split proportionally among Maersk Oil and its other partners. Maersk Oil now holds a 42.62% share in the license with DONG Energy (27.32%), Noreco (16.39%), and Danoil (13.66%).