Offshore staff
CALGARY, Alberta -- Ithaca Energy has completed drilling of a water injection well for its Athena field development in the UK central North Sea.
Well 14/18b-A1 intersected 325 ft (99 m) of net reservoir, exceeding the requirements for water injection to support an initial production rate of 22,000 b/d of oil.
The well was drilled down flank from three of Athena’s appraisal wells. It is the first in a 180-day campaign of drilling and completion activities prior to installation of subsea equipment and hook-up of the FPSO BW Athena.
The target formation (top Scapa A), and main reservoir unit of the Athena field, was encountered at 9,325 ft (2,842 m) TVD, as prognosed. Wireline logs confirmed a multi-layer permeable sandstone and shale gross section of 820 ft (250 m), including the 325 ft (100 m)of net reservoir (on a true vertical basis).
Average porosity across the reservoir section appears sound, with indications of good fluid mobility in all sandstone units tested. Formation pressure measurements are close to aquifer pressures recorded in earlier wells, suggesting lateral and vertical communication throughout the field.
The well has been fully cased and temporarily suspended. Once the last of the four producer wells has been drilled, the rig will return to the water injector to perforate and run completion equipment in readiness for first production.
02/28/2011
