BP Egypt’s Atoll-1 deepwater exploration well has hit about 50 m (164 ft) of gas pay in high quality Oligocene sandstones in the North Damietta Offshore Concession in the East Nile Delta offshore Egypt, the company said in a news release March 9.

The well is being drilled using the Maersk Discoverer, a 6th generation semisubmersible rig and has reached 6,400 m (20,997 ft). BP said the well is expected to be the deepest well ever drilled in Egypt. The well has another 1 km (.6 mile) to drill to test the same reservoir section found to be gas bearing in BP’s 2013 Salamat discovery, 15 km (9 miles) to the south, according to the release.

“This is the second significant discovery in the license after Salamat. The estimated potential in the concession exceeds 5 trillion cubic feet (142 Bcm), and we now have a positive starting point for the next possible major project in Egypt after BP’s West Nile Delta project,” BP Group CEO Bob Dudley said in the release.

Atoll-1 was drilled in 923 m (3,028 ft) water depth about 80 km (50 miles) north of Damietta city and 45 km (28 miles) northwest of the Temsah offshore facilities. BP has 100% equity in the discovery.