Further development drilling on the UK Northern North Sea Causeway oil discovery has been concluded by operator Antrim Energy with the company indicating that it has found a significant oil column and a new oil accumulation in one the field formations.
Antrim said that the 211/23d-18 well which was drilled 18.29 m (60 ft) below an earlier 211/23d-17z well, penetrated a 15.24 m (50 ft) oil column with 7.62 m (25 ft) of net pay in the Ness formation plus a new 4.5 m (15 ft) oil column with 2.4 m (8 ft) of net pay in the underlying Etive formation.
Both formations flowed light oil with no water, and porosity and permeability measurements indicated a high quality reservoir.
“The Etive section in 23d-18 represents a new oil accumulation not previously reported from this area of the Causeway structure,” Antrim stated, and the hole is being retained as a development well to support production from the 211/23d-17z discovery well which flowed at up to 14,500 b/d of oil on test.
Antrim’s chief executive Stephen Greer stated: “This discovery in the Etive Formation in 23d-18 could represent a significant addition to the Causeway resource base. The drilling results represent another important step toward first production, expected in late 2009 from the Causeway property.”
Next, the rig on contract to Antrim is due to carry out further appraisal drilling on the Fyne discovery in the Central North Sea. Sunday, July 6, 2008