Operator Shell and its partners offshore French Guiana are still mulling future options for the Guyane Maritime Permit acreage after four follow-up wells failed to prove up further reserves after the initial deepwater Zaedyus discovery.

One of the minority partners in the license block, Northern Petroleum, which has a 1.3% stake in the Guyane Maritime Permit area, stated: “The licence area offshore French Guiana is currently being evaluated by the operator and joint venture partners to consider the next steps in the work programme.”

Northern’s statement in its interim results for the six months to June this year comes after the completion of the GM-ES-5 exploration well last November, which was the final well in a 2012 and 2013 exploration program in the permit. That well was plugged and abandoned without encountering hydrocarbons, after being drilled to a depth of 6,460 m (21,188 ft) with the Stena ICEMax drillship.

Shell operates the license with 45%, and the other partners are Total with 25% and Tullow Oil with 27.5%. Northern holds a minority 1.3% stake through a joint venture which is co-owned with Wessex Exploration, called NorthPet Investments Ltd., which holds the remaining 2.5%.

Tullow first announced a discovery with the Zaedyus well, designated GM-ES-1, back in September 2011. That find was drilled with the Ensco 8503 semisubmersible in a water depth of 2,048 m (6,717 ft), and encountered 72 m (236 ft) of oil pay in two turbidite fan systems, proving up the theory that a Jubilee-type play offshore West Africa was mirrored on the other side of the Atlantic.