Westwood Global Energy reports that at the end of July there were three wells active on the UKCS, with two in the West of Shetlands and one in the Central North Sea.
Two wells have completed to date in 2018.
West of Shetland
Siccar Point spudded its Cambo Paleocene appraisal well on 24 April with the West Hercules semi-submersible. The well was sidetracked with a horizontal leg on May 29.
However this was abandoned, presumably for mechanical reasons at a total depth of 2,995m (9,826ft) MD (2,303m (7,556ft) TVDSS), and sidetracked again on June 13 with well 204/10a-5Y.
This second sidetrack has since reached a total depth of 3,166m (10,387ft) MD (2,299m (7,543ft) TVDSS).
It is understood that the planned Extended Well Test is being conducted on this current leg.
Operations with Total’s Glendronach exploration well 206/4a-4 were continuing at the end of July, after its spud with the Stena Don on May 27.
The well is targeting the Lower Cretaceous (Albo-Aptian) Royal Sovereign Formation from a surface location over the Edradour field and has an expected duration of 80 – 120 days.
Northern North Sea
There is no current E&A drilling in the Northern North Sea.
The next well that is expected to be drilled is Azinor’s Agar (Eocene) appraisal well, which will be sidetracked with an exploration well to test the Plantain prospect in the same play. This is expected to spud in August.
Central North Sea
Cairn spudded its Ekland exploration well 22/18c-8 on the July 27 with the Ensco 101 which mobilised from port in Hartlepool.
The well is targeting estimated mean resources of 29 mmboe with prospectivity in the Triassic and secondary potential in the Upper Jurassic.
The well is expected to be marginally HPHT and has an estimated duration of 64 days.
Southern North Sea
With no current E&A drilling activity, the next well in the Gas Basin is expected to be the 44/12b Fault Block 9 prospect, adjacent to Neptune’s Cygnus field.
It is expected this will be drilled once the rig, Ensco 101, has completed Cairn’s Ekland exploration well in the Central North Sea.
Norway Well Slot, August 2018
Westwood Global Energy reports that there are eight wells active at the end of July, three of which are exploration.
To date in 2018, 13 exploration and four appraisal well programmes have completed, including one junked well (30/8-5 Tune Statfjord) and one suspended well (25/4-13 S Gekko).
In July, two exploration wells targeting the 34/5-2 S Tyttebær and 35/12-7 Serin prospects completed as dry, whilst a successful appraisal programme was recorded with Fogelberg well 6506/6-4 S, 4 A.
North Sea
On July 4, Shell announced its Tyttebær well 34/5-2 S was dry in its Lower Jurassic Cook Formation objectives.
Wellesley’s Serin well 35/12-7, its second in a three well campaign in the Greater Grosbeak Area, also completed as dry on July 25. Wellesley is now drilling well 35/11-21 S, which spudded on July 27, targeting a Jurassic aged extension of the Grosbeak discovery.
Lundin continues appraising the fractured basement Rolvsnes discovery with well 16/1-28 S, which is aiming to improve production rates and prove commerciality with a horizontal fraccing test.
Equinor continues appraising the Sigrun discovery with well 15/3-11, which spudded on June 14, and is aiming to prove commerciality of the Middle Jurassic Hugin Formation reservoir.
Aker BP spudded dual purpose well 25/10-16 S on June 30 to appraise the Upper Jurassic Hanz discovery and test the 3 – 22 mmboe Slengfehøgda prospect to the north of Ivar Aasen.
Aker BP junked appraisal well 25/4-12 and re-spudded well 25/4-13 S to prove commerciality of the 1974 Gekko discovery, however this well has now been suspended.
Norwegian Sea
Shell’s Coeus well 6304/3-1 was spudded on July 7. The well is targeting 300 bcf (50 mmboe) in the Upper Cretaceous Springar Formation and Paleocene Egga Member, c. 35 km northwest of Ormen Lange. Equinor is appraising the 2017 Cape Vulture discovery with well 6608/10-18, which spudded on 16 July.
Resources are estimated at 20.3 mmbbl and 38.8 bcf by the NPD and if developed, could be tied back to the Equinor operated Norne FPSO, c. 8.5 km to the southeast.
Spirit Energy completed a successful appraisal programme with well 6506/9-4 S, 4 A on July 14, confirming the lateral extent of the 2010 gas condensate Fogelberg discovery.
The well encountered reservoir of higher quality than seen in the discovery well and with a deeper water gas contact.
A DST carried out in the Middle Jurassic Garn Formation flowed at rates of 570,000 scmpd gas and 80 scmpd condensate and the resource range has been narrowed down to 44 – 88 mmboe.
Barents Sea
Spirit Energy spudded exploration well 7322/7-1 on 22 July.
The well is targeting the 83-245 mmbbl Scarecrow prospect in the Lower Cretaceous Kolje and Knurr Formations, c. 67 km west of the Wisting Central Discovery.
Lundin’s appraisal operations at Alta are ongoing at well 7220/11-5 S, which spudded on 6 April.
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