A COMBINATION of weather and other factors have reduced the number of active rigs to nine mobile units on exploration & appraisal (E&A) activity compared with 13 at the end of September.
On the other hand, activity levels showed an improvement over September with three new spuds and a sidetrack. Starts for 2010 are 60 wells, comprising 25 exploration spuds and four sidetracks, plus 19 appraisal wells and 12 associated sidetracks.
Excluding workovers and other interventions, 25 production and development wells are currently active, bringing the tally to 107 wells including 46 sidetracks for the year to date.
The Northern North Sea saw the spud of Xcite’s Bentley heavy oil appraisal 9/3b-6 by the Ocean Nomad semi-submersible. It only had to trundle a short distance eastwards following Nautical’s heavy oil operations at Kraken. Encountering heavy oil as expected, Xcite has started side-tracking operations.
Sterling’s second Cladhan sidetrack 210/29a-4Z was drilled as a southeasterly and down-dip second sidetrack with the semi J W McLean and was plugged and abandoned mid-October. The rig then mobilising to Marathon’s West Brae area for development drilling duties.
West of Shetland, Chevron spudded 217/15-1 on the Lagavulin Prospect with the drill ship Stena Carron in 1,524m (5,000ft) of water, while Total continues operations on the Edradour prospect exploration well 206/4-2 with the semi- Sedco 714. Hurricane suspended its Whirlwind exploration well 205/21a-5, with signs of a further success in the basement play being recorded prior to release of semi- Borgsten Dolphin.
Five wells are active in the Central North Sea. Semi- Transocean Prospect is delineating West Rochelle for Nexen in sidetrack 15/26b-10Z, the initial hole confirmed as successful late October. Operations also continue on Nexen’s Polecat appraisal 20/4a-9 with semi GSF Arctic IV; Maersk’s long-running Culzean high pressure/high temperature (HP/HT) appraisal 22/25a-10 with the jack-up Ensco 101; and BG’s Jackdaw appraisal 30/2a-8 with heavy duty jack-up Rowan Gorilla.
Valiant’s Viola North exploration well 30/18b-9 with the Ensco 100 jack-up is confirmed as a dry hole and operations are wrapping up, with a sidetrack to the Viola South target now unlikely.
Talisman’s Josephine appraisal 30/13a-9 drilled using the semi Ocean Princess remains suspended pending return of the rig from development duties to continue operations. Apache’s Aviat 22/7a-5 exploration sidetrack with the jack-up Galaxy II was abandoned but the rig is yet to spud Encore’s Varadero prospect on block 28/9, primarily for weather-related reasons. BP’s Monan area exploration well 22/20a-7 with semi Paul B Loyd Junior was suspended, the rig moving to port in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The Southern Gas Basin currently has just a single E&A well active; Centrica’s 43/13b-6 on the Pegasus prospect utilising the jack-up Noble Julie Robertson, the Noble Scott Marks having departed the UK Sector for Netherlands F3 development duties following suspension of Centrica’s 44/28a-6 as a probable discovery on the Fulham Prospect.
The announcement of awards in the UKCS 26th Licence Round on October 27 has boosted the Hannon Westwood’s E&A well forecast, pushing numbers in the direction of the 200 mark. A total of 268 blocks have conditionally been awarded with a further 99 described by DECC as “under consideration” pending recommendations of environmental assessments. Seven of the 83 companies now offered acreage are new entrants to the UKCS.
In terms of work programmes, 12 firm wells are bid. Subject to acceptance, GDF Suez and Total are each committed to four operated wells while Nexen, Premier, Sterling and Valiant each have a single firm operated well. Seventeen contingent wells are indicated; Total with four operated wells, BP and Valiant each with two and nine other operators make up the tally.
Simon Robertshaw’s column is courtesy of North Sea drilling analysts Hannon Westwood.
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