Offshore staff
CALGARY, Canada – Sterling Resources says the first production well (P1) has been drilled and completed at the TAQA-operated Cladhan oil field development in the UK northern North Sea.
The well encountered more and better-quality sands than anticipated. The W1 water injection well has also been drilled, encountering the high-quality down-dip reservoir sands intersected by the 210/29-4Y appraisal well in 2010. Both wells are in the Cladhan main channel area.
Shortly the semisubTransocean John Shaw will start drilling the second production well, P2, south of P1 and W1 wells. This well should be completed in December.
Forecast first oil from Cladhan has slipped to next summer, mainly as a result of changes in the subsea work scope and a decision to defer parts of this until next spring because of adverse weather during the winter period. Latest estimates suggest overall costs have risen 12% above the original budget.
At the Breagh gas field development in the UK southern North Sea, Sterling and operator partner RWE Dea plan to drill four more wells (12 in total) from the Breagh Alpha platform. This follows the recent success of the A07 and A08 well hydraulic stimulations.
Wells A09 and A10 will likely be drilled in the second half of 2015, followed by A11 and A12 in 2016, and the probable sidetrack and stimulation of one or two existing lower performance wells.
Plans for Breagh phase 2 will be reconsidered following next year’s 3D seismic interpretation and a review of the field’s production history. The revised development plan should be submitted toward end-2015 with approval anticipated during 2016.
Elsewhere in the UK North Sea, the Crosgan appraisal well in block 15a is set to spud in the next few days. Next year Sterling expects to participate in a Shell-operated well in blocks 21/30f and 22/01c containing the Beverley prospect and the Belinda and Evelyn oil discoveries. The company expects the Niadar exploration well in block 49/19b to be delayed until 2016.
Offshore Romania in the Black Sea, Sterling’s outstanding commitment exploration program comprises one well on the Luceafarul block and two wells on the Muridava block. One of these wells will likely be drilled in 4Q 2015 and the other two in 1Q 2016.
Depending on the outcome of an equity sell-down process, one or two exploration wells may also be drilled on the Midia block, but only if financing can be secured.
10/30/2014
