The Norwegian oil company Statoil will begin testing the Connemara oilfield in March next year in the first of 11 wells that will be drilled on the oilfield off the coast of Galway.

Statoil said yesterday that this first well would include 60 days of test production which would run in parallel with a second well that would be drilled. A total of 15 days test production was planned for this second well.

The Connemara oilfield lies in 365 metres of water and was deemed uncommercial when first discovered by BP in 1979. Statoil said, however, that "new mapping has raised hopes that it can be developed with a production shop".

Earlier this year, Statoil contracted the American drilling company Reading & Bates to carry out a £38 million exploration programme on the Connemara field, with 11 wells being drilled over a 19 month period from next March.