Oil and gas exploration company Cove Energy said today the Belford Dolphin drillship has arrived on location at the Tubarao well site.

The company, which mainly has activities in East Africa, said drilling at the Tubarao well would take between six and eight weeks.

The move to the well follows the cessation of operations on the Lagosta gas discovery, which has been suspended to allow for future flow testing. In November, Cove Energy announced the Lagosta well had encountered over 167m (550ft)  of natural gas pay in Oligocene and Upper Eocene high quality sands.

Chief executive John Craven said the significance of that discovery meant commercialisation options could proceed. He said the operator believes that the three gas discoveries already made - Windjammer, Barquentine and Lagosta - exceed the resource size threshold to support a liquefied natural gas development offshore Mozambique.