Offshore staff

LONDON, UK --The UK southern North Sea gas basin remains in demand for exploration, according to a new report from consultants Hannon Westwood.

The "Potential Farm-in Opportunities Report" suggests that of the 220 known planned wells on the UK shelf through 2009, 66 are in the southern gas basin and 22 of them likely will need funding via farm-ins. This is way up on the 36 planned wells for the area that Hannon Westwood identified late in 2006.

The report also identifies nine planned wells in the Irish Sea off northwest England, up from one in late 2006; 17 planned wells west of Shetland now, compared with four late last year; and 94 prospective wells in the Central North Sea, up from 48 from the time of the last forecast.

07/04/2007