Well Slot is a monthly feature where Westwood’s Stephen Coomber looks at drilling activity and rig moves in UK and Norwegian waters.
As of 26 April, Westwood Global Energy reports that there are no exploration or appraisal wells active on the UKCS.
Only one well has completed during 2024, with the 21/3d-9, Z, Y Leverett appraisal well which spudded in 2023.
© Supplied by NobleNo well programmes have spudded in 2024 to date and no wells are expected to spud until June when the Shell-operated 48/8b Selene well is due to start operations.
This will be followed by the Shell-operated Pensacola appraisal well. Another summer spud is likely to be the Jocelyn South well which will be drilled from the Judy field template.
A total of six exploration and four appraisal wells have the potential of spudding this year, although many may be delayed or not complete by year end.
Although the number of wells expected to be drilled is only slightly lower than the nine exploration and four appraisals completed in 2023, the timings of the wells are all in the second half of the year.
Updates as Norway storms ahead with five active wells and three spudded
As of 26 March, Westwood Global Energy reports that there are five exploration wells active on the NCS, with Brokk-Mju in the CNS, Alvheim Deep, Frigg-GammaDelta Ypsilon and Cerisa in the NNS, and Lavrans (exploration segment) in the Norwegian Sea. Since the previous report, one appraisal and two exploration wells have completed, with the Wisting appraisal in the Barents Sea, and Ardbeg and Ringhorne Nord in the NNS. Three exploration wells spudded at Cerisa, Alvheim Deep and Brokk-Mju.
Barents Sea
The Equinor-operated 7324/7-4 Wisting appraisal well was completed on 8 April, after being spudded on 17 March with the Deepsea Stavanger semi-sub. The well targeted the water leg of the Wisting discovery to collect rock mechanics data in the Middle – Lower Jurassic reservoirs. The well has been P&A, with no results announced to date.
Norwegian Sea
The 6406/2-L-2 H Lavrans well, operated by Equinor, was spudded on 19 January with the Transocean Spitsbergen. The well is targeting the Middle – Lower Jurassic and, if successful, will be tied back to Kristin.
North Sea
The 15/3-13 S Brokk-Mju well, operated by Equinor, was spudded on 21 April with the Deepsea Stavanger semi-sub. The ILX HPHT well will target the Brokk and Mju prospects in the Upper and Middle Jurassic, respectively. Pre-drill resources are 25 mmboe.
The Aker BP-operated 24/6-5 Alvheim Deep well was spudded on 3 April with the Noble Integrator jackup. The well is understood to be targeting the Upper Jurassic. The pre-drill resource range is 24 – 159 mmboe.
© Supplied by Var EnergiThe Vår Energi-operated 36/7-5 S Cerisa well was spudded on 29 March with the Deepsea Yantai semi-sub. The primary target is the Lower Cretaceous. Pre-drill resource is 30 mmboe.
The 25/2-25 S, A, B Frigg-GammaDelta Ypsilon well, operated by AkerBP, was spudded on 9 March with the Scarabeo 8 semi-sub. The well was sidetracked on 29 March and 14 April. The initial well targeted the Eocene in the Ypsilon prospect with a pre-drill resource range of 9 – 22 mmboe, followed by two long-reach horizontal appraisal wells along the flanks of the Frigg-GammaDelta structure.
The OKEA-operated 31/4-A-21 A Ardbeg well was completed on 25 March, after being spudded on the 14 February from the Brage platform. The well was targeting the Middle Jurassic. Results are pending.
The 25/8-23 S, A, B Ringhorne Nord well, operated by Vår Energi, was completed on 27 March, after being spudded on 31 January with the Deepsea Yantai semi-sub. The well was sidetracked on 8 March and 17 March. The well encountered oil in the Paleocene and Lower Jurassic. The post-drill resource range is 13 – 23 mmboe. The JV are evaluating the discovery as a potential tie back to the Balder area.
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