Westwood Global Energy reports that at the end of April, three exploration wells were active, with two in the West of Shetlands and one in the Central North Sea.
West of Shetlands
Petrofac, on behalf of licence operator Hurricane, has spudded
the first of three wells targeting its West of Shetlands basement play with the Transocean Leader on April 16.
Well 205/26b-13 is testing the Warwick prospect (Warwick Deep) where gross pre-drill resources are estimated at 935 mmboe. Spirit Energy farmed-in to the Warwick area in 2018 with a commitment to drill three wells.
Siccar Point is continuing operations with its 204/5b-2 Blackrock exploration well
which was spudded on March 15 in the West of Shetlands with
Diamond Offshore’s Ocean GreatWhite.
The well is located on the Corona Ridge between the Rosebank
and Cambo discoveries and is targeting oil in Tertiary Colsay Sandstones with deeper Upper Jurassic targets.
Northern North Sea
There is no current drilling in the Northern North Sea.
Central North Sea
In early April, results from both Equinor’s 20/5b-14 Verbier appraisal well and Eni’s 22/19c-7 Rowallan exploration well were announced.
At Verbier, the pre-drill resource range has been reduced towards the lower limit of this range (c. 25 mmbbl) and the rig, West Phoenix, has returned to Norway.
At Rowallan, the well targeted pre-drill resources of c. 133 mmboe in the Triassic and Middle Jurassic but was abandoned as a dry hole.
The Ensco 121 rig will remain in the North Sea and move to drill the 42/4 Darach exploration well for ONE-Dyas in the Gas Basin.
Operations at Chrysaor’s Mabel appraisal well 16/29e-19, which spudded on February 14 with the Rowan Gorilla VII, are believed to be close to completing.
In addition to appraising the Paleocene, it also had a secondary objective in a deeper Triassic prospect. The well is expected to have satisfied the firm commitment on this 30th Round licence.
Southern North Sea
There is no current E&A drilling in the Southern North Sea. The next well that is expected to spud is ONE-Dyas’s 42/4 Darach exploration well that will target the Carboniferous on the northern margins of the Gas Basin.
English Channel
With the completion of Corallian’s Colter appraisal well 98/11a-6Z there is no current drilling in theEnglish Channel.