As of 30 May, Westwood Global Energy reports that there is one exploration well and one appraisal well active, in the CNS and NNS respectively. One appraisal well in the CNS was P&A as a gas well since the last report.
West of Shetland
No E&A wells have been drilled in the WoS area since the 206/21-1 Howick well in 2019 and there are no wells planned to be drilled in 2022 at this time.
Northern North Sea
The Dana-operated 210/24a-B11 Barra South appraisal well was spudded with the Island Innovator semi-submersible rig, on 11 April 2022. The NSTA has the well classified as a development well, however Dana’s documentation and communications suggest the well is an appraisal. It is being drilled as a deviated well from the Western Isles Development (WID) South Drill Centre (SDC) and is targeting a three-way dip closure in a tilted fault block at Lower Brent Group level to the south of the Barra field. Resources are estimated at c. 4 mmbbl. The well has a dry hole estimate of 81 days.
Central North Sea
Shell spudded the 30/14a-5 Edinburgh well on 15 March 2022 with the Valaris 122 jack-up rig. The well is targeting high impact resources in the upper Jurassic Fulmar Formation and Triassic Skagerrak Formation, with a secondary target in the Upper Jurassic Freshney Formation. The well will be challenging, as it has to drill through the depleted Paleocene Balmoral Member oil leg in the Flyndre field, then drill on to the HPHT target at c. 13,655ft (4,162m) TVDSS. The prospect lies on the border between UK and Norway, and the well is targeting a large fault block on the UKCS side. Resources have been quoted by a JV partner as 100 – 675 mmboe (midpoint 387.5 mmboe). The well has a dry hole duration estimate of 122 days.
The 22/19a-8 Birgitta East well was P&A as a gas well on 27 April and operator Petrogas announced that results were in-line or better than pre-drill expectations. The well was appraising the eastern culmination of the 22/19-1 Birgitta (previously Fiddich) gas-condensate discovery which tested at an aggregate rate of 3,291 bpd, 42 – 48.2 °API condensate and 35.6 mmscfpd from three separate Triassic Skagerrak Formation intervals. Although the intention was to suspend the well having encountered gas resources, there were issues carrying this operation out, so the well had to be P&A.
Southern North Sea
There has been no drilling in the SNS since 2019. The next exploration wells expected to be drilled in the region are Shell and Deltic’s 41/5a-B Pensacola exploration well and IOG and CalEnergy’s 53/1b Kelham North and Central exploration well, both expected to be drilled in Q3 2022.
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