Faroe Petroleum has informed that Total E&P Norge has started drilling at the Shango exploration well 25/6-5S (Faroe 20%), in the Norwegian North Sea.
The Shango prospect in Licence PL 627 (named Skirne East by the operator Total E&P Norge AS) is located on the northern part of the Utsira High approximately 5 kilometers from the producing Skirne field, which is also operated by Total.
Shango is a structural prospect where the primary target is the Middle Jurassic Hugin formation reservoir, which has proved to be of excellent quality in the neighboring Skirne field, Faroe Petroleum has said..
Shango is located on the spill-route from the Skirne field which is, according to Faroe Petroleum, producing above expectations and has been interpreted to be filled to spill.
A fast-track subsea development to the Skirne field is planned if the prospect is found to contain a similar gas and condensate hydrocarbon type as found in Skirne. Skirne has been developed as a tie-back to the Statoil-operated Heimdal platform approximately 24 kilometers to the west.
The Shango exploration well, located in approximately 120 meters of water, is being operated by Total (40%) using the Leiv Eiriksson drilling rig with partners Centrica Resources Norge AS (20%) and Det norske oljeselskap AS (20%). Results from the well will be announced when drilling operations are complete.
Graham Stewart , Chief Executive of Faroe Petroleum said: “I am very pleased to announce the commencement of our 2015 exploration drilling program , with the high impact Shango well. During the coming months we expect to start drilling the first of two follow-up wells at the significant Pil discovery (Faroe 25%) on the Blink and Boomerang prospects, and to spud the Bister prospect to follow up on our recent significant Snilehorn discovery located close to the producing Njord field infrastructure.
“Our Norwegian position is now one of the most significant of any UK independent E&P company and, despite challenging market conditions, the Company is set for another year of growth in 2015, with an exciting four well drilling programme of low cost, high impact exploration wells, fully funded from our production cash flow.”