At the time of writing there were two active E&A wells drilling. Both wells were spudded at the end of May, taking the total well spuds to date in 2017 to five, all of which are exploration.
West of Shetlands
On 29 May, Nexen spudded its Craster exploration Well 205/15-1 with the West Phoenix. The well is targeting prospectivity in the Lower Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic and represents the second well to spud in this region in 2017.
Northern North Sea
In the Northern North Sea, Total completed operations with its Sween exploration well on 9 June, five months after the well spudded, however results are being held tight. On 30 May, Apache spudded its Skene Field area exploration well (9/19c-S6) with the WilPhoenix, targeting potential on the Northern Terrace, most likely in the Middle Jurassic, from which the Skene Field produces.
Central North Sea
Activity in the Central North Sea to date this year has been limited, with just one exploration well spudded (on 22 April), which is now being reported by the OGA as having been abandoned in May. Shell was targeting near-field potential in the Pena Prospect, adjacent to its Shearwater Field. Results have yet been released.
Southern North Sea
BP’s Ravenspurn Field area exploration programme, targeting a new tight gas play in the Namurian to the south of the Field is now on its second leg, with the original well (classed as appraisal by the OGA), being sidetracked on June 3 with development Well 43/26a-E12Z.
This suggests some form of success on the pilot hole, although it has yet to be confirmed whether the success is exploratory in the target Namurian objective, or if the sidetrack well is aimed at increasing production from the Ravenspurn Field.
Several wells are waiting in the wings to spud with the pace of drilling expected to pick up in the second half of the year, with the potential for 12 or more E&A wells to spud before year-end.
Only 40% of the forecast dril-ling for 2017 is satisfying firm licence commitments, suggesting that there is a substantial amount of discretionary exploration spend taking place.
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