Drilling from shore planned for southern England Purbeck prospect

March 25, 2013
InfraStrata has updated its exploration planning for the P1918 license offshore Dorset on the southern English coast.

Offshore staff

LONDON – InfraStrata has updated its exploration planning for the P1918 license offshore Dorset on the southern English coast.

The company has a 70% operating interest in the acreage, which takes in offshore blocks 97/14, 97/15 and 98/11, and a further 8% indirect interest through a shareholding in partner Corfe Energy.

To date the partners have purchased about 3,500 km (2,175 mi) of existing 2D seismic data, and three existing 3D seismic surveys, either within or adjacent to the license. Focus of activity has been the offshore extension of thePurbeck prospect, an anticline in the east area of the license, updip of the 1989 onshore well Southard Quarry-1, which encountered petroleum in Jurassic and Triassic reservoirs, but was not tested.

New mapping of Purbeck suggests it extends 13 sq km (5 sq mi) at the primary target level, with the majority contained within P1918. Prospective gas recoverable from the Triassic Sherwood sandstone target could be 100 bcf.

An appraisal well is needed to test the productivity of the reservoir at 2,500 m (8,202 ft) subsurface.

The partners intend to reprocess the 2D seismic to define a subsurface target location for the well, which will likely be drilled from an onshore location to the sea within block 98/11.

Subject to planning approval, rig availability and project funding, the well will be drilled early next year.

3/25/2013