UPDATE 1-Nexen sees delay in appraising Gulf of Mexico find

* Details impact of U.S. drilling moratorium after BP spill

* Sees C$100 mln to C$150 mln spending deferred

* Long Lake oil sands project producing 27,000 bpd

By Scott Haggett

CALGARY, Alberta, June 14 (Reuters) - Nexen Inc (NXY.TO), the largest Canadian energy company operating in the Gulf of Mexico, expects the drilling moratorium in the region will delay appraisal of its Appomattox deepwater discovery.

Marvin Romanow, Nexen's chief executive, said the only consequence for the company of the six-month drilling moratorium imposed following BP Plc's (BP.L) disastrous spill would be planned follow-up drilling to gauge the size of the Appomattox oil find in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

"For us ... the only real impact is delaying the appraisal activity at Appomattox," Romanow said at an investor conference. "Our production is not impacted and it would not be impacted in the short term as we had no immediate development drilling plans."

Two wells have already been drilled into the deepwater Appomattox find, announced earlier this year and operated by Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L), which has an 80 percent stake in the find.

The delay of the three- to five-well appraisal program will free up cash for Nexen. Romanow told reporters that the moratorium will mean about C$100 million ($97 million) to C$150 million in spending will be deferred, but he had no immediate plans to redirect the cash.

"We weren't ... capital limited to begin with," he said, "What we continue to do is look for opportunities all the time. This is not a redeployment of capital for us."

Romanow also said the current production at the company's C$6.1 billion Long Lake oil sands project is about 27,000 barrels per day, up from 25,000 bpd in late April.

The project is designed to produce about 72,000 bpd and output has been ramping up since September.

Nexen shares fell 15 Canadian cents to C$22.76 late afternoon on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

($1=$1.03 Canadian) (Editing by Rob Wilson)