Offshore staff
DUBLIN, Ireland – Providence Resources has won a new licensing option covering two full and seven part-blocks offshore southern Ireland.
The 18-month option area is in the southwest of the South Celtic Sea basin, around 130 km (81 mi) off the south coast, spanning a total area of roughly 2,530 sq km (977 sq mi). It is also 80 km (49.7 mi) south of the company’sBarryroe oil field.
Initial seismic interpretation and mapping of vintage 2D data identifies numerous structures including a potentially significant mid-basinal Mesozoic anticlinal closure named “Silverback.”
Petroleum systems analysis suggests this structure may be prospective for stacked entrapment of hydrocarbons in lower Triassic, lower Jurassic, and lower Cretaceous reservoir intervals.
Primary source rocks in the basin are thought to be lower Jurassic oil-prone marine shales, proven by previous exploration drilling in the northeast part of the basin, and which are oil-generative in the adjacent North Celtic Sea and Fastnet basins.
Farther east, the lower Jurassic has also proven prolific for hydrocarbons in the East Irish Sea basin offshore Liverpool, and in the Wytch farm oil field on the English south coast.
Providence’s program calls for reprocessing and interpretation of the 2D seismic and integrating existing well data from adjacent basins. These include the company’s wells on the Hook Head, Helvick, Dunmore, Blackrock, and Barryroe fields and structures.
During 2014-2016, Providence plans to participate in or operate fourwells offshore southern and eastern Ireland. Additionally, it has exploration prospects in the southern Porcupine basin region of the Irish Atlantic margin area off the west coast, including Drombeg, Cuchulain and Newgrange, all of which are under review for potential wells.
12/05/2013
