North America

Canada A partnership of EnCana (55%), Shell Canada (30%) and Norway's Ocean Rig (15%) has abandoned as a dry hole the country's most expensive offshore well. The deep-water Weymouth A-45 gas exploration well took 185 days to drill, about 60 days behind schedule, reaching a depth of 21,400 ft, in 5,200 ft of water. Various estimates put the well cost at between C$100m ($73m) and C$120m. Marathon (40%), EnCana (35%) and Murphy Oil (25%) still expect to proceed with the deep-water Crimson K-81 well this summer, targeting 20,300 ft, in 6,800 ft of water. Gaz de France (GdF), Quebec utility Gaz Metro and Enbridge, the pipeline company, are developing plans for a C$0.7bn LNG import terminal to ser