Oman Oil Company Exploration & Production LLC (OOCEP), an upstream subsidiary of Oman Oil Company (OOC), is preparing to spud a pilot well in Block 65 in north Oman, a report said.

Covering an area of around 1,230 sq km, Block65 is surrounded by major oil and gas fields that produce from shallow cretaceous formations, Oman Observer reported.

According to OOCEP, the ‘Pilot and Appraisal Study Agreement’ signed with the government last year calls for the drilling of one well to assess the prospectivity of unconventional resources in the Block.

“Drilling site civil work has been completed and the righas been mobilised to site. The spud of the pilot well is anticipated to take place during mid-March 2016,” OOCEP was quoted as reporting by the Observer.

“Progressing towards achieving the plateau production of 70 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd), OOCEP successfully completed commissioning of 21 new wells, reaching a total number of 31 online wells in 2015,” the company said.