Offshore staff
LONDON --Serica Energy is looking for a farm-in partner to share the costs of a well on the Conan prospect in the East Irish Sea.
Conan is one of two potential Sherwood sand gas structures Serica has identified in blocks 113/26b and 113/27c, both awarded in 2007 under the UK's 24th offshore licensing round. They cover an area of around 145 sq km (56 sq mi), north of the Millom gas field and within 10 km (6.2 mi) of the giant Morecambe field.
According to Serica, the Conan prospect exhibits a seismic amplitude anomaly at top reservoir level around 28 sq km (10.8 sq mi) in area, making it the largest undrilled amplitude anomaly in the basin. Analogies with other gas fields in the East Irish Sea with amplitude anomaly, such as Calder and Hamilton, suggest a strong potential for large volumes of gas -- perhaps up to 1 tcf.
The prospect lies at a subsurface depth of around 5,000 ft (1,524 m), in shallow water. A discovery would be economically attractive, due to the proximity to offshore infrastructure.
Serica also operates three blocks in a license in Slyne basin offshore western Ireland, 40 km (25 mi) south of Shell's Corrib gas field. It is due to start drilling an exploration well on the Bandon gas prospect next month, which it estimates has prospective resources ranging from 230 bcf to 1.7 tcf.
The well, to be drilled by the semisubmersibleOcean Guardian, will test a Triassic Sherwood sandstone reservoir; also the setting for Corrib's gas.
04/27/2009
