Drilling has kicked off on a new deepwater well off Cameroon to test Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous play-types.

Murphy Cameroon is operating the Bamboo-1 well, which is being drilled in the 2,319 sq km (895 sq mile) and previously undrilled Ntem concession area, to test a series of stacked submarine fans with the potential for 422 MMbbl of oil and 170 Bcf of gas – equalling 450 MMboe. Drilling is underway using the fifth-generation semisubmersible Ocean Confidence.

The well is due to be drilled to a total depth of 4,200 m (13,776 ft) in a water depth of 1,600 m (5,248 ft), and is expected to take between 60-70 days to drill, according to partner Sterling Energy. Drilling is located 56 km (354 miles) from the Cameroon coastline.

Murphy farmed in to acquire 50% of the concession area with Sterling in November 2011 and will cover Sterling’s costs for drilling the well.

Ntem is a deepwater block in the southern Doula Rio Muni Basin area with water depths ranging from 400-2,000 m (1,312-6,560 ft).