Nexen hits new depths for major oil find

Nexen Inc. and several partners have hit a major oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico, reaching a total depth of about 10,400 metres with the deepest commercial well ever drilled on the planet.

The hole surpasses a well drilled earlier this year in the Gulf and is second only to a well drilled for scientific purposes in northwestern Russia that exceeded 12,000 metres. Weatherford International Ltd. of Houston, which helped drill the Nexen well, said it has made a breakthrough that “opens up new opportunities across the globe,” using technology it acquired from Calgary’s Precision Drilling Corp. in June.

theglobeandmail