Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK -- Venture Production's latest appraisal well on the Ensign prospect in the UK southern North Sea produced gas, but at the lower end of expectations. The well, drilled by the jack-up Noble Julie Robertson, flowed 12-15MMcf/d of gas on test, following hydraulic fracturing.
The company views this outcome as the result of a smaller than expected fracture caused by operational issues rather than reservoir properties. The well is suspended as a future producer- while Venture works on development planning and timing. The rig has moved on to sidetrack the company's Amanda discovery well.
Elsewhere in the southern gas basin, development drilling on the Chiswick field is behind schedule, due to the late arrival of the jack-upNoble Kolskaya. Venture now expects first gas from this field in May.
01/21/2007
