Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK – Apache Corp. (NYSE:APA) has brought onstream a new development well at the Beryl field in the UK North Sea.

The Beryl Bravo B73y well tested a Nansen reservoir with 71 ft (21 m) of net oil pay, and 245 ft (74 m) of net pay in three additional zones that will be produced in the future. It flowed at 8,161 b/d and 5.9 MMcf/d of gas.

This was a follow up to the B72 well, which tested more than 11,600 b/d and 13 MMcf/d in May, and additional pay that will be produced at a later date.

Apache assumed operatorship of Beryl and other UK North Sea interests from ExxonMobil at the end of 2011. Last month, the company started 3D seismic surveys over the field, which should be completed in mid-October, with the results used to refine future drilling plans.

The jacket for the new Forties Alpha Satellite Platform (FASP) has arrived at the Forties field. This will be a bridged-linked processing facility and drilling platform. The fully commissioned topside and 90-m (295-ft) bridge link both should be delivered next spring.

FASP will provide full-fluid processing and will have 18 new production well slots to facilitate the next drilling phase in the field starting next summer.

When Apache acquired Forties in 2003, it was forecast to cease production this year.

Jim House, Apache’s UK North Sea region vice president, said: “Apache originally purchased 144 MMboe of proved reserves within the Forties field at a cost of $667 million, and has now produced nearly 190 MMboe and still has 130 MMboe of proven reserves yet to deliver.”

The company has invested about $4.3 billion in the Forties field, which it estimates will add 18 years to the field’s life.

A new 3D seismic survey is planned next year over the Forties field area that will be converted to a 4D interpretation, to help locate bypassed or un-swept oil reserves. 

9/6/2012