Offshore staff

CALGARY, Canada -- Cirrus Energy has spudded the first exploration well in a six-well drilling program on the Q14-Alpha prospect. The Noble Lynda Bossler is to drill the well to TD of 2,750 m (9,022 ft) subsea. The drilling duration is estimated as 35 days.

The Q14-Alpha prospect is a large fault block interpreted and mapped on 3D seismic data. The primary reservoir targets are Triassic-aged Bunter sandstones with secondary reservoir potential in Permian-aged Zechstein and Rotliegend sandstones. Cirrus' internal estimate of combined gross, unrisked, recoverable resource potential in the Triassic is 125 bcf with a further potential 50 bcf in the Permian. In order to test the Triassic at an optimal location, the company does not plan to deepen well Q14-3 to the Permian.

The company has also updated activities on the following projects:

M7-A development project
Fabrication of the M7-A platform deck is mechanically completed and onshore commissioning is under way together with certification, the company says. The base frame of the support monopile has been fabricated. Cirrus expects that the complete platform will be installed offshore during late September.

The 13-km (8-mi), 6-in (15-cm) pipeline from the M7-A platform to NAM's L09-FF process platform has been laid, trenched, and buried. Pressure testing was successful. Tie-in modifications on the L09-FF platform are under way and installation of the riser from the pipeline to the platform is planned to be completed in October, the company says.

The jackup Noble Lynda Bossler will begin drilling at the M7-A platform when it completes the Q14-3 well. Depending on whether there is testing or not at Q14-3, the rig is expected to move to M7-A in late October or early November. Detailed review of the original suspended discovery well (M7-5ST) indicated that there are significant well integrity concerns -- the company plans to drill a new development well (M7-A1) from the M7-A platform with an expected drilling duration of 50 days.

M1-A development project
Fabrication of the subsea protection dome has been completed. Fabrication of the subsea wellhead and high pressure protection system is under way. Offshore installation and well related activities are planned for 2Q 2009 when favorable weather is more predictable. This timing also depends on securing acceptable commercial terms for access to the existing 6-in. (15-cm) pipeline which would be used for export of the raw gas to the G17-A process platform, the company says.

L8-D field
Cirrus has agreed with Chevron Exploration and Production to acquire its 48% operated interest in that part of the L8-D field that potentially extends in the L11b license. The consideration is an overriding royalty payable out of future production revenues from the field and the drilling of one appraisal well.

The L8-D field was discovered by well L8-16x in 2004. The well drillstem tested at up to 430,000 cu m/day (15.1 MMcfd) of gas from a Rotliegend sandstone reservoir at a depth around 3,850 m (12,631 ft). Water depth is 30 m (98 ft). It is expected that an appraisal well will be drilled on the L8-D field in early 2009 with the rig Noble Lynda Bossler, the company says.

09/22/2008