Jul. 2012 - ATP Oil & Gas has successfully drilled its Shimshon exploration well in the Levant Basin of offshore Israel encountering more than 62 feet (19 meters) of natural gas pay in the Bet Guvrin sands. The Shimshon well is in a water depth of 3,622 feet and was drilled to a subsea depth of 14,445 feet by the Ensco 5006 semisub.

Apr. 2012 - ATP Oil & Gas Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary ATP East Med B.V. have initiated drilling at the Shimshon well in the Levant Basin offshore Israel using the ENSCO 5006 (DW semisub). The Shimshon well resides in a water depth of 3,622 feet (1,104 meters) with a target depth of 14,764 feet (4,500 meters). After spud, several protective casing strings will be set until the well has penetrated the salt layer, said the operator. A full set of electric logs will be run at total depth to assist in evaluation of target reservoirs. ATP expects to announce results during the third quarter of 2012.

Jun. 2011 - ATP O&G Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, ATP East Med BV, have acquired the Shimshon, Daniel East and Daniel West licenses in offshore Israel. The company plans to spend between $3 and $5 million, this year, for acquisition costs, seismic and preliminary exploration plans. ATP East Med, as operator, has assumed the drilling contract with Transocean Drilling Israel for the Sedco Express semisub. ATP plans to start exploratory drilling during the second quarter 2012 at the Shimshon location. The operator expects to spend $24 to $29 million in 2012 to drill the first exploratory well on the Shimshon license. ATP notes that Isramco Negev, its partner in Shimshon received an independent reservoir engineering analysis from Lockwood & Associates. The company estimates gross potential natural gas reserves at Shimshon to be 20% with the best estimate of gross recoverable gas of 2.3 tcf.