Well Slot is a monthly feature where Westwood’s Stephen Coomber looks at drilling activity and rig moves in UK and Norwegian waters.
UK Offshore Well Slot January 2025
As of 24 January, Westwood Global Energy reports there are two exploration and two appraisal wells active on the UKCS: Culzean Deep and Jocelyn South in the CNS and Pensacola (appraisal) and Abbey (appraisal) in the SNS.
Since the previous report, the Brodgar North well has completed. No wells have spudded.
© Supplied by Neo EnergyCentral North Sea
The TotalEnergies-operated 22/25a-C8 Culzean HPHT development infill well is being drilled from the Culzean wellhead platform and was spudded on 26 November.
The producer well is targeting the Upper-Middle Triassic and will be deepened to an ILX exploration target in the Lower Triassic. The well will be targeting the crestal area of the field in a tilted fault block in the SW of the Culzean structure. Westwood estimates pre-drill resources for the exploration target at 67 mmboe, based on analogues.
The Harbour-operated 21/3a-H5 Brodgar North well was completed on 9 January 2025, after being spudded on 10 November 2024, with the Paul B. Loyd Jr semi-sub.
The prospect was a stratigraphic trap in the Lower Cretaceous and encountered gas. Westwood is holding estimated pre-drill resources of c. 10 mmboe. The well was kicked off to drill the 21/3a-H5Z Brodgar East pilot development well, which encountered oil and gas. A production sidetrack will be kicked off soon.
The 30/7a-R3 Joceyln South well, operated by Harbour, was spudded on 20 October with the Valaris 120 jack-up from the Judy platform.
The well targeted gas condensate in the Upper and Middle Jurassic and Triassic. Pre-drill resources were c. 10 mmboe. On 24 December 2024, Ithaca reported that the gas condensate was encountered in the Triassic reservoir. On 23 January 2025, Harbour reported that the well is expected on stream in Q1 2025.
Southern North Sea
The Shell-operated 41/5a-3 Pensacola appraisal well was spudded on 17 November with the Valaris 123 jack-up rig.
The well is targeting a more crestal location of the Pensacola micro-platform, where thicker Permian reservoir is prognosed than was encountered in the 2022 discovery well. Pre-appraisal P50 resources are 72.6 mmboe. The well is understood to have been drilled to reservoir and cored, with wireline logging operations ongoing prior to flow testing the well.
The 47/3i-17, Z Abbey appraisal well, operated by Petrogas, was spudded with the Noble Resilient on 13 November.
The well is appraising the 1974 47/3-2 Artemis discovery, which encountered gas in a tight Permian reservoir. Pre-appraisal P50 resources are 19.1 mmboe. The well side tracked on 19 December, as planned, and the horizontal section of the well has been drilled to TD. Preparations to fracc the well are ongoing, but it is understood there are delays due to availability of the required fracc vessels.
© Supplied by Odfjell DrillingNorway Well Slot January 2025
As of 24 January, Westwood Global Energy reports that there are four exploration wells active on the NCS, with Prince and Njargasas in the NNS, Mistral Sør in the Norwegian Sea, and Zagato in the Barents Sea.
Since the previous report, four exploration wells completed at Anatas Lower (results pending), Tomcat (dry), Elgol (gas) and Rumpetroll South (dry). Results for Kvernbit & Mimung were pending last month and the well was dry. The Elgol, Mistral Sør, Rumpetroll South, Njargasas and Zagato wells were spudded.
Barents Sea
The Vår Energi-operated 7122/8-3 S Zagato well was spudded on 17 January 2025, with the COSLProspector semi-sub. The well is targeting the Middle-Lower Jurassic and Middle-Lower Triassic. Pre-drill resources are 83 mmboe.
The Vår Energi-operated 7122/9-2 Elgol well was completed on 13 January 2025, after being spudded on 19 December 2024 with the COSLProspector semi-sub. The well proved non-commercial gas resources of 15.6-114 bcf in the Upper Permian target.
Norwegian Sea
The 6406/6-7 S Mistral Sør well, operated by Equinor, was spudded on 22 December 2024, with the Deepsea Atlantic semi-sub. The HT, not HP, well is targeting the Middle Jurassic with pre-drill resources of 19-57 mmboe.
The 6305/10-1 Tomcat well, operated by ORLEN, was completed on 21 January 2025, after being spudded on 22 November 2024, with the Deepsea Yantai semi-sub. The well encountered generally poor reservoir quality in the Cretaceous target. The well was P&A dry.
North Sea
The 35/6-5 Njargasas well, operated by Aker BP, was spudded on 10 January 2025 with the Deepsea Nordkapp semi-sub. The well is targeting the Lower Cretaceous with pre-drill volumes of 20-120 mmboe.
The Aker BP-operated 24/12-8 S Rumpetroll South well was completed on 4 January 2025, after being spudded on 24 December 2024 with the Deepsea Nordkapp semi-sub. The well encountered 4m of very good quality Eocene sandstone, but was P&A dry.
The OKEA-operated 31/4-A-23 F, G Prince well programme was pre-drilled on 15 November 2024, and is still ongoing from the Brage platform. The wells are targeting the Upper Jurassic. Westwood holds pre-drill resources of c. 5 mmboe.
The Equinor-operated 34/10-A-48 E Anatas Lower well was completed on 19 December 2024, after being spudded on 26 October 2024 from the Gullfaks A drilling facility. The well was targeting c. 1 mmboe in the Lower Jurassic. Results are pending.
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