Westwood Global Energy reports that as of 1 February there was one exploration well and one appraisal well active in the UK, with no change since the last report.
A total of five exploration wells completed in 2020, the fewest since the 1960s, from which four discoveries are understood to have been made.
Two of these, Solar and Isabella operated by Apache and Total respectively, are considered by Westwood to be commercial.
In addition, wells at Gair and Gamma are understood to have made non-commercial discoveries.
As a result, the UK delivered a 40% commercial success rate in 2020. There were no appraisal wells completed in the UK in 2020.
West of Shetland
The last well to complete in the region was Hurricane’s Warwick West 204/30b-4 appraisal well on 13 December. There is currently no E&A drilling expected in 2021.
Northern North Sea
With the completion of Apache’s 9/19b-28 and 9/19b-29 Gamma/Losgann exploration well programme on 25 December, there is no current E&A drilling in the Northern North Sea.
The rig, Ocean Patriot, moved to drill the operator’s 22/6a-B4 Bacchus South exploration well in the Forties field area.
Central North Sea
Operations continue with CNOOC’s 22/26d-3 Glengorm South appraisal well which spudded on 3 December with the Prospector 5 jack-up.
The well is targeting the Upper Jurassic intra-Heather Formation J54 Freshney Sandstone Member at a location to the south of the 2019 discovery well and is planned to be tested.
The well has an expected duration of 300 days, including the test programme.
The well will be followed by a second Glengorm appraisal well in block 22/21c which will be drilled once operations on this well have completed.
On 28 December, Apache spudded the 22/6c-B4 Bacchus South exploration well with the Ocean Patriot.
The well is targeting the Upper Jurassic Fulmar Formation within a series of tilted fault blocks adjacent to, but separated from, the Bacchus field.
In the success the case the well will be developed via the current infrastructure which delivers hydrocarbons to the nearby Forties field.
Southern North Sea
The last well to complete in the region was Eni’s 53/14a-2 Aspen exploration well on 11 December which was abandoned as a dry hole.
The next well that is expected to be drilled is Shell and Deltic’s 41/5a-B Pensacola exploration well, which is planned to spud this year.
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