Rockhopper Exploration plc, the North Falkland Basin oil and gas exploration company, announces that the 14/10-6 appraisal well (“the Well”) was spudded at 21:25 hrs BST on 15 July 2011. The Well is situated on Licence PL032, which is 100% owned and operated by Rockhopper, and is the third appraisal well to be drilled on the Sea Lion feature since Rockhopper’s oil discovery in May 2010.
The Well is located some 4.1km to the west of the 14/10-2 discovery well, on the western side of the structural low at top reservoir, and 2.3km to the south-west and 14m updip from the 14/10-4 appraisal well. The Well is designed to investigate reservoir and hydrocarbon presence outside what the Company considers the minimum case area. Both Sea Lion Main and Lower fan intervals are targets, with all the Sea Lion Main fan expected to be above the Oil-Water Contact established by the 14/10-4 appraisal well, and with reservoir expected to be thinner than encountered in previous wells on the Sea Lion feature.
Drilling operations are expected to take approximately 38 days and a further announcement will be made once drilling is completed.
[mappress] Source: Rockhopper Exploration, July 18, 2011