US-based Hillwood International Energy and Marathon Oil Corporation, also US-based, have made a large oil discovery on the Sarsang block in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq.

The block is located to the north of the town of Dohuk and the total flow rates in the three zones of the Swara Tika-1 discovery well were more than 7,000 barrels of oil a day (b/d) of light oil, together with gas.

Marathon has a 25 per cent stake in the Sarsang block, which is operated by another US firm, HKN Energy.

In April, Marathon together with another US firm, Aspect Energy, discovered oil at the Atrush block in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq (MEED 21:4:11).

The Atrush-1 well is 89 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital Irbil. Flow rates were established at more than 6,000 barrels of oil a day from the three horizons.