Offshore staff

TORONTO – North Sea Energy (NSE) has contracted Senergy GB for technical studies on four exploration prospects in the UK North Sea.

These are Bobcat in block 13/28b, Bass (block 22/5c), Badger (block 12/30), and Bluebird/Blackbird (block 15/21d).

Senergy will conduct subsurface evaluation to advance the blocks to a drilling decision in conformity with the license terms and to facilitate a NSE run data room toward end-February.

Badger is a gas exploration prospect with prospective recoverable resources of 162.9 bcf. NSE holds a 50% operating interest via its wholly owned subsidiary, Echo Exploration Ltd.

Block 12/30 was one of three awarded to NSE earlier this month under the UK’s latest 26^th offshore licensing round. The others, both operated by First Oil Expro, were block 12/16b containing the Norfolk prospect, and 12/17b, which includes the Norfolk East lead.

Both the latter blocks are in the Inner Moray Firth, a short distance from northern Scotland’s Sutherland coast.

According to NSE, Norfolk is a large stratigraphic pinchout and dip closure with a lower Cretaceous Hauterivian sandstone reservoir that could hold in-place oil of 538.4 MMbbl, with a further 193.6 MMbbl possible at Norfolk East.

NSE already produces oil in this area via its interest in the Ithaca-operated Jacky field.

01/27/2012