Cladhan well lifts oil hopes

Offshore staff

LONDON – Side track drilling has revealed further oil in the Cladhan discovery in the UK northern North Sea. Initial results from logging while drilling data indicate a 258-ft (78.6-m) gross hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir interval (169 ft, or 51.5 m, vertical thickness) with 108 ft (33 m) net pay (71 ft, or 21.6 m, vertical thickness). Oil has been established down to 9,643 ft (2,939 m) subsurface, but no oil/water contact has been penetrated.

Further wireline logging, downhole sampling, and pressure measurements will follow. Results from the three wells to date suggest a hydrocarbon column of over 425 ft (129 m).

Well 210/29a-4Y, operated by Sterling Resurces, is the second side track on the accumulation in block 210/29a. According to partner EnCore Oil, the latest effort was drilled to a measured TD of 11,530 ft (3,514 m), roughly 1 km (0.6 mi) southeast of the 2008 discovery well.

Once current operations have been completed, data will be analyzed to determine the next drilling location. Depending on rig availability, drilling will resume either late this year or early in 2011.

EnCore CEO Alan Booth said: “We are now very confident that we have a potentially significant commercial accumulation. We hope to return to the Cladhan area at the earliest opportunity to establish both the southern extent of Cladhan and drill further down dip in search of the contact.

“Following on from our Catcher drilling program announced last week, theGalaxy IIrig has not yet been assigned to EnCore as bad weather has prevented the rig from being mobilized to the Catcher area from its current operating location. Arrival at the Varadero location is dependent on a suitable weather window for its mobilization.”

10/04/2010