Offshore staff

LONDON, UK --Perenco UK's exploration well on the Cirrus gas prospect in the southern North Sea has encountered hydrocarbons, but appears to be sub-commercial. According to partner EnCore Oil, the well will be plugged and abandoned once drilling is completed.

EnCore expects more from an appraisal well the Breagh discovery in North Sea block 42/13, operated by Sterling Resources. This will be drilled by the Jack-upEnsco 85, currently on location just to the east of the block.

Mobil discovered Breagh in 1997, encountering net gas pay of around 68 ft (21 m) in the Lower Carboniferous Scremerston sandstone formation. The well was cored and logged, but only tested at sub-commercial flow rates due to formation damage during drilling and completion. The new appraisal well will be designed to achieve a test flow rate representative of the undamaged formation, in order to determine the field's commercial viability.

In the northern UK North Sea, EnCore and Sterling will cede 33.5% of two blocks to Norwegian independent Revus Energy. In exchange, Revus will co-finance an exploratory well, likely on the Bowstring East prospect in 2008.

07/04/2007