UKCS
There is little to report in the way of new activity at the start of 2014, in part due to the malaise (often attributed to a shortage of rigs) evident in the UK sector last year.
Six rigs are currently active on E&A wells – or at least on station – including one exploration well and five appraisals. The sole change noted since the last report is the spud and subsequent initiation of a sidetrack in the Central North Sea on Nexen’s Lily accumulation.
Some 122 development/production wells including 68 well spuds and 54 sidetracks are noted for 2013 (subject to confirmation) with 25 wells currently active including those in sidetrack legs.
West of Shetland
Out WoS, the Paul B.Loyd Jnr remains on location on BP’s Clair appraisal sidetrack, well 206/9a-3Z, as does Sedco 714 on Total’s re-entered Spinnaker prospect well 206/4a-3 in deeper Atlantic Margin waters.
Following its return from Canadian waters the drillship Stena Carron was recently reported to be heading to Bluemull Sound, the strait between Unst and Yell, Shetland, ahead of drilling Ithaca’s Handcross prospect in about 610m (2,000ft) of water on block 204/18b.
Northern North Sea
TAQA’s well 210/29a-6, appraising the U.Jurassic Cladhan field using the John Shaw, remains the sole E&A operation in the NNS. This well is the first part of a two well-leg programme that will see the second completed for development.
Central North Sea
Three CNS wells are active: EnQuest’s well 16/3d-16, an appraisal of the Cairngorm accumulation (basement play), was sidetracked on December 12 following spud on November 1 by the Ocean Princess (not Stena Spey as erroneously reported last month).
On November 27, Nexen spudded and then sidetracked its Lily appraisal, well 20/1-14, in the Golden Eagle area with the Transocean prospect while Maersk Resilient remains on ConocoPhillips’ well 30/2c-J12, a deviated appraisal into an adjoining block from the Jade platform. Galaxy II is reportedly in Dundee ahead of mobilising to spud GDF Suez’s well 30/1f-13 on the Marconi.
Elsewhere
Both the Southern North Sea and West of Britain in the East Irish Sea Basin currently have no active exploration or appraisal programmes.
Pitiful performance
Although late notifications may lead to adjustment of the numbers, provisional figures show that 31 E&A wells were spudded during 2013 (13 exploratory and 18 appraisals) with a further eight exploration and 10 appraisal sidetracks (either geological or mechanical) initiated. A single exploration well (Total’s Spinnaker) was re-spudded and three exploration wells were re-entered during the year.
The 18 appraisal well spuds of 2013 compares favourably with (and matches 2002 numbers) overall levels since 1994 – excepting for a recent peak of 36 spuds in 2007 – with the lowest level (11 spuds) being recorded in 2003.
The picture for exploration drilling is grim. Our records indicate that the 13 exploration wells spudded in 2013 also matches the 2002 figures, but represents a new low as it is two wells less than the 15 recorded in 2011.
To put 2013 exploration on the UKCS into a historic perspective, not since 1965 when the sector was in its infancy (a single exploration well commenced in 1964) and just 10 exploration wells were spudded, has exploration activity been so dismal.
With a single exploration well currently active, it shouldn’t be too long (sea state accepted) before we have a better idea of the discoveries made by this miserable tally.
NCS
As 2014 gets under way, there are 10 active wells – eight exploration and two appraisal. Eight are drilling in the North Sea, while the Norwegian and Barents Seas have one each.
In total, 53 wells were spudded last year, along with six sidetracks. There were no re-entries or re-spuds.
There are 21 development/production wells currently drilling. Twenty are in the North Sea, the remaining one in the Norwegian Sea. There are 36 mobiles . . . 10 on E&A duties, 21 on D&P drilling, while the remaining five are shifting between drilling operations.
North Sea
The last of 2013 to spud was Total’s Trell exploration well, 25/5-8, (Leiv Eiriksson) targeting a Palaeocene objective. But operations ceased on January 1 while, on the same day, follow-on well 25/5-9 kicked-off.
In two further spuds of this year Centrica has begun its Butch South West exploration probe (well 8/10-5 S) with the Maersk Giant and Lundin is drilling Johan Sverdrup area appraisal 16/3-8 S (Bredford Dolphin).
Wintershall spudded at the end of November its Skafjell South appraisal sidetrack, well 35/9-10 A (Transocean Arctic). At month-end, Lundin completed operations on its Luno II South appraisal, the Bredford Dolphin having abandoned well 16/5-5 as a dry hole, while the company continues drilling its Jurassic Torvastad exploration sidetrack, well 16/2-20 A (COSL Innovator).
Statoil is drilling ahead with the Transocean Leader at L.Jurassic Rav/Valemon North with well 34/10-54 S.
Two wells are currently completing. Statoil’s 30/11-9 sidetrack recorded a discovery at its M.Jurassic Askja West/East structure. Tullow was less successful in its U.Jurassic Mantra probe (well 31/3-4), reported as a dry hole
Norwegian Sea
In this sector, Statoil’s Snilehorn exploration probe, sidetracked in November as well 6407/8-6 A (Songa Trym), was abandoned mid-December following an oil discovery on both legs. Faroe continues operations with its Novus exploratory well 6507/10-2 S which has a Jurassic target.
Barents Sea
Here, Statoil has wrapped operations on its Skavl well 7220/7-2 S where oil and gas were encountered in both Jurassic and Triassic reservoir intervals. The West Hercules has since mobilised to spud well 7220/4-1 as part of a multi-well hunt in the region.
Analysis
All told, 53 E&A wells were spudded on the NCS last year – a record year. With three wells spudded on January 1 alone, 2014 could become similarly successful.
That said, December seems to have been fairly quiet on the Norwegian Shelf, with several wells finishing, but just two starting. Bad weather is blamed as a factor.
Overall, 2013 was a fruitful year offshore Norway and 2014 is looking good.
Written by Simon Robertshaw and David Moseley, Wellslot is courtesy of North Sea analysts Hannon Westwood
Recommended for you
