Offshore staff
LONDON – Premier Oil has discovered oil with an exploration well and side track on the Bonneville prospect in the UK central North Sea.
The structure is 4 km (2.4 mi) south of theBurgman discovery on the Catcher license, where Premier expects to submit plans for a multi-field development later this year.
The Bonneville well (28/9a-6) was drilled by the semisubmersibleWilPhoenix to 4,481 ft (1,366 m) true vertical depth subsea (TVDSS). It encountered a gross oil column of 66 vertical ft (20 m) in the Tay interval with an estimated net oil pay of 26 ft (8 m).
A side track (28/9a-6z) was then drilled to the Bonneville East prospect to 4,441 ft (1,353 m) TVDSS. It intersected 34 ft (10 m) of net oil pay in a gross oil column of 175 vertical ft (53 m) in the Tay interval.
Premier estimates oil in place at 30 MMbbl. Both discoveries, it adds, are in high-quality reservoirs with average porosities of roughly 30%, with initial sampling suggesting similar quality oil to the 25° API Burgman field.
WilPhoenix will now head to the west of Shetland region to start development drilling at the Premier-operated Solan project.
4/23/2013
