UK well starts up last year but added reserves may disappoint
An early check on UK North Sea drilling activity indicates that there are 13 active exploration & appraisal wells including, in the southern Central North Sea, the first spud of the 2013.
mobile rigs
May contrasts – UK subdued while Norway buoyant
In UK waters, 10 mobile units are currently employed on E&A drilling operations - exploration wells, including a single sidetrack, account for three of these while seven appraisal wells including two sidetracks are active.
Is it quality not quantity that matters?
Five exploration and appraisal wells are currently operating on the UKCS from two semi-submersible rigs, two jack-up units and a single drill ship. That's all.
2011 E&A well count edging up
Exploration and appraisal (E&A) starts on the UKCS in the first two months of the year amount to three exploration wells and three appraisal wells. However, 10 E&A wells are currently active, all utilising mobile rigs, which are working on five exploration wells and the same number of appraisals.
Exploration work continues as weather puts paid to tail-end spurt
Nine mobile rigs remain active on exploration and appraisal drilling on the UKCS - no change from the situation in late October.
And gradually the momentum builds
THE UK Continental Shelf has nine mobile rigs (four semi-submersibles and five jack-ups) currently active on four exploration and five appraisal wells in the Northern, Central and Southern North Sea.
Drilling finally warming up on UKCS
Eleven E&A wells are currently active on the UKCS utilising 10 mobile rigs and one platform, with seven new spuds reported over the last month, bringing this year's tally to 31 wells and 20 sidetracks.
2009 a dreary drilling year so far
When compared with 2008, the pace of activity in the UKCS remains subdued, with only eight mobile rigs currently active on exploration and appraisal drilling - the same as last month - of which two are drilling sidetracks.
Q4 and E&A wells keep on coming on the UKCS
INTO the final quarter of 2008 and a total of 59 exploration and appraisal wells have started on the UKCS so far, an increase of 14 spuds over the same point in 2007 and a level of activity not reached until the start of December that year. Additionally, 36 sidetracks have so far been initiated this year.
Flurry of promising activity as year begins
2008 has begun with a flurry of exploration, with 12 of the 14 wells spudded to date targeting prospects, and only two appraisal wells.