Blackbird offers Ettrick life extension

Aug. 11, 2010
Nexen Petroleum UK has completed flow testing its Blackbird field appraisal well in the UK central North Sea.

Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK -- Nexen Petroleum UK has completed flow testing its Blackbird field appraisal well in the UK central North Sea.

Well 20/2a-9 was drilled in a water depth of around 367 ft (112 m) to a MD of 12,000 ft (3,657 m), targeting an Upper Jurassic oil discovery.

According to partner Daan Petroleum, detailed evaluation of well data suggests the well encountered 389 ft (118 m) of gross pay and 90 ft (27 m) of net pay of good quality, oil-bearing reservoir sands.

The test flowed dry oil at 7,000 b/d through a 38/64-in. choke. The well has since been completed and will be suspended for future use as a producer, via a potential tieback to the Ettrick FPSO.

Following the recent tie-in of two more development wells on Ettrick, production has risen from around 22,000 b/d of oil to over 28,000 b/d, and should hit a peak of 30,000 b/d in the near future.

Development of Blackbird should also sustain peak production rates through the FPSO for longer than originally planned.

08/11/2010