Blocks 15/23c, 15/24a, 15/28a and 15/29e - BowmoreStratic holds a 30% working interest in Blocks 15/23c, 15/24a (part), 15/28a (part) and 15/29e. The other working interests in the blocks are held by Nippon (30%), Hunt Petroleum UK Limited (30%) and Britcana Energy Limited (10%). Nippon is the operator of the blocks. Stratic’s interest was acquired in April 2007 and is for an initial term of four years. The work programme offered by Stratic and its partners includes the acquisition of new seismic data and the drilling of two firm and two contingent wells. Stratic has the right to apply for an additional four-year term, subject to satisfactory completion of the work programme and evidence of the licensees’ technical and financial capabilities.
The blocks are contiguous and located in the Outer Moray Firth area of the North Sea. The blocks are located in the west of the existing Brenda and Balmoral fields and to the north of the Britannia field. Multiple prospects and leads have already been identified at a number of stratigraphic levels. A Jurassic gas condensate discovery, Bowmore, drilled in 1990, is located in the awarded acreage along with a number of Palaeocene prospects and a deep play concept to the north of the existing Britannia field.
The Bowmore discovery well, 15/24a-4, was drilled in 1990 by Hamilton Brothers and flowed at a rate of 11 mmcfd of gas and 3,024 barrels of 47º condensate per day from an over-pressured Upper Jurassic reservoir. There are a number of uncertainties and risks associated with the Bowmore discovery including the overpressured and high temperature nature of the reservoir, the part-structural, part-stratigraphic nature of the trapping mechanism, difficulties in mapping part of the reservoir and a potential reduction in reservoir quality as one moves away from the discovery well. The partnership group intends to address a number of these risks by obtaining a completely new seismic data set through purchase and re-processing, together with further subsurface work before commencing appraisal drilling. The first appraisal well is expected to be drilled in 2008.
In addition to the Bowmore discovery, Stratic has identified a number of further prospects and leads.
The Bowmore Terrace lead on block 15/24a is thought to be similar in characteristic to other down-thrown terrace accumulations in fields in adjacent acreage. While considerably more risky than Bowmore itself, the Bowmore terrace is considered to offer upside potential to the main structure.
A Palaeocene prospect located in block 15/23c is represented as a four-way, dip-closed high immediately up-dip from well 15/23b-10, which was drilled as a Jurassic test in 1990 and in which oil shows were recorded at the top of the Forties Sand section. The prospect is considered to be relatively low risk, but some doubt exists over whether the prospect is large enough to justify drilling. In addition, there are two further small Palaeocene leads in the block.
In block 15/28a there is another Palaeocene lead, located some 5 km northeast of the existing Rubie field. The lead is considered low risk geologically but would benefit from better quality seismic data.
Finally, blocks 15/28a and 15/29e also contain a significant Jurassic sandstone stratigraphic lead at approximately 14,500 ft sub-surface. It is considered to have a high geological risk based on existing seismic data.
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