As of 25 March, Westwood Global Energy reports that there is one exploration well and one appraisal well active, both in the CNS. One exploration well completed 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
There has been no E&A drilling in the Northern North Sea since 2020, with the 9/19b Gamma/Losgann well competing in December 2020. The next exploration well in the region is expected to be on TotalEnergies’ Alwyn East prospect in Q2 2022.
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 must 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 is still operating having been spudded by operator Petrogas on 30 January 2022. The aim of the well is to appraise the eastern culmination of the 22/19-1 Birgitta (previously Fiddich) Triassic Skagerrak Formation gas-condensate discovery.
Shell completed the 22/12d-13 Jaws well on 6 March 2022 with the Valaris 122 jack-up rig, after spudding on 28 November 2021. The well was a firm commitment on a 30th Round award, targeting an Upper Jurassic Fulmar Formation interpod play. In the primary Upper Jurassic target, the well encountered 31m (102ft) of fair to good quality reservoir sandstone of the Fulmar Formation. The reservoir interval was water bearing, with no traces of hydrocarbons. The lack of shows in the Fulmar reservoir suggests that the well failed due to lack of charge or migration into the trap, with hydrocarbons having failed to reach the prospect.
Southern North Sea
There has been no drilling in the Southern North Sea since the 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 2022.
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