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 February 2025
As of 21 February, Westwood Global Energy reports there are two appraisal wells and one exploration well active on the UKCS, at Culzean Deep in the CNS and Pensacola (appraisal) and Abbey (appraisal) in the SNS.
Since the previous report, the Jocelyn South well has been reported as a gas discovery. No wells have spudded.
© Supplied by Maersk DrillingCentral 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 30/7a-R3 Joceyln South well, operated by Harbour, was suspended on 4 February 2025, after being spudded on 20 October 2024 from the Judy Riser Platform template with the Valaris 120 jack-up. 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 a 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 carried out 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 sidetracked on 19 December, as planned, and the horizontal section of the well has been drilled to TD. A five stage fracc of the well has successfully been carried out and the fracc vessel has left the location.
This will be followed by a 193-hour Extended Well Test (EWT), after which the well will be suspended. A successful test would help with development planning as a tie-back to the Tolmount field.
© Supplied by OdfjellNorway Well Slot February 2025
As of 21 February, Westwood Global Energy reports that there are seven exploration wells active on the NCS, with Prince, Kokopelli, Kjøttkake and Horatio & Polonius in the NNS, Mistral Sør and Kongeørn in the Norwegian Sea, and Zagato in the Barents Sea.
Since the previous report, two exploration wells completed as dry wells at Njargasas and Bounty Updip. The Kokopelli, Kjøttkake, Bounty Updip, Horatio & Polonius and Kongeørn 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. The most recently published pre-drill resources are 15 mmboe.
Norwegian Sea
The 6507/2-8 Kongeørn well, operated by Aker BP, was spudded on 9 February, with the Deepsea Nordkapp semi-sub. The well is targeting the Middle Jurassic and Lower Jurassic Kongeørn and Havørn prospects. Pre-drill resources are 5 – 30 mmboe.
The Aker BP-operated 6306/6-3 S Bounty Updip well was completed on c. 19 February having spudded on 30 January, with the Scarabeo 8 semi-sub. The HI and non-ILX well encountered the Upper Jurassic target, at 74m thick, of which 70m were sandstones with good to very good reservoir quality. The well was P&A dry.
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 21 – 63 mmboe.
North Sea
The OMV-operated 35/6-6 Horatio & Polonius well was spudded on 5 February, with the Transocean Norge semi-sub. The HI well is targeting the Lower Cretaceous. Pre-drill resources are 10 – 260 mmboe.
The 35/10-13 S Kjøttkake well, operated by DNO, was spudded on 26 January 2025 with the Deepsea Yantai semi-sub. The firm, licence commitment well is targeting Eocene injectites. Pre-drill resources range from 22 – 53 mmboe.
The Vår Energi-operated 7/1-3, 4 S Kokopelli well programme was spudded on 23 January 2025 with the Deepsea Yantai semi-sub. The HI well is targeting the Upper Cretaceous. Pre-drill resources are 150 mmboe.
The 35/6-5 Njargasas well, operated by Aker BP, was completed on 1 February, after being spudded on 10 January 2025 with the Deepsea Nordkapp semi-sub. The well encountered the Lower Cretaceous target, 176m thick, of which 97m consisted of sandstone with poor to moderate reservoir quality. The well has been P&A dry.
The OKEA-operated 31/4-A-23 F, G Prince well programme was spudded on 15 November 2024, and is still ongoing from the Brage platform. The wells are targeting the Upper Jurassic. Pre-drill resources of 8 – 52 mmboe.
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