Oil and gas explorer Ithaca Energy said today it had carried out a successful test on its Hurricane discovery in the central North Sea.
Ithaca said a drill stem test on the field had flowed gas and condensate from the Andrew sandstone area of the field, which it thought could be part of a “more extensive Andrew sand unit”.
The Ithaca-operated field could be developed as part of the firm’s Greater Stella Area development, a £630million project which will see the Stella and Harrier fields developed through a floating production facility, the FPF-1.
The entire area, including Hurricane, is estimated to have proved and probable reserves of about 32million barrels of oil equivalent.
The Hurricane appraisal well, drilled using the WilHunter drilling rig, will be suspended amid plans for its potential use as a production well from the Andrew and also possibly Rogaland areas of the field.
Ithaca has 54.66% equity in Hurricane, with partners Dyas UK, holding 25.34% and Petrofac Energy Developments UK 20%.
Nick Muir, Ithaca’s chief technical officer, said: “The successful results of the Hurricane appraisal well have clearly demonstrated the significant potential of the Andrew reservoir play fairway in the company’s Greater Stella Area.
“A work programme has already been launched to assess the development options and ultimately recoverable volumes for Hurricane, both in terms of the Rogaland and Andrew reservoirs, and the optimal solution for its integration into the ongoing development of the nearby Stella and Harrier fields.”