Pemex was granted permission by regulators on Thursday to drill the Asab-1EXP well, set to be a follow-up probe to Talos Energy's Zama discovery that is expected to extend onto a block operated by the Mexican state oil company.

According to a presentation shown by staff of Mexico's National Hydrocarbons Commission, the well is targeting Upper Miocene geological objectives between 2700 and 2880 metres, with a second set of targets between 3080 and 3480 metres.

The expected hydrocarbon is oil of 23 degrees API.

Drilling on the well is due to start on 28 February with operations to last until 11 May, with completion to follow from 12 May to 10 June.

The probe will be drilled in 174 metres (570 feet) of water with the drillship Opus Tiger 1, with the CNH confirming prior reporting by Upstream.

Targets for total depth are listed at 3580 vertical metres below the drill floor and 3775 metres directionally.

A pre-drill estimate of the resource is 76 million barrels of oil equivalent, with the probability of geologic success sized up at 67%.

Talos recently drilled its own successful appraisal to the find and continues with further exploration work on its block.

The companies have previously signed a pre-unitisation agreement, one step in a process that kicks in when a cross-block discovery is suspected.

The Pemex probe will be important for both operators in terms of determining whether the find does in fact span the territories of both companies.

If that is the case, the two players must work jointly to exploit the discovery to maximise its recovery for the state.