After further drilling the West Franklin field in the UK North Sea operator Total said it could increase the reserves potential of the find towards 200 m boe.
Described as the deepest high pressure and high temperature field in the UK North Sea, West Franklin in blocks 29/5b and 29/4d was originally discovered in 2003 and brought onstream last year.
After new drilling on the field from the existing Franklin wellhead platform, Total said its latest well encountered very good quality Upper Jurassic reservoir which tested at 34.78 MMcf/d (0.9 Mcm) of gas and 1,975 b/d (314,000 standard cubic meters) of condensate.
West Franklin is already producing at the rate of 20,000 boe/d and Total has indicated the potential for the field to flow at up to 45,000 boe/d.
Total operates the field and says it is now considering the next phase of the field’s development.
“Ultimate resources have been significantly increased and are now estimated at close to 200 million barrels of oil equivalent with additional drilling,” Total stated.
Field partners are GDF SUEZ, Eni UK Limited, BG Group, Eon Ruhrgas UK, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Dyas and Oranje-Nassau.