The Valaris 123 jackup departed the offshore location on Nov. 10 for Shell’s recent Selene gas discovery in the UK southern North Sea.
According to partner Deltic Energy, Shell has recommended that the co-venturers should proceed into the second term of the surrounding license P2437 and agree on a low-cost work program and timeline going forward with Britain’s North Sea Transition Authority to support FID on a potential development.
During the second term, the licensees plan to finish their post-well analytical work and studies for finalizing a development concept. No further drilling is necessary prior to FID, Deltic added.
Work will also begin on environmental studies to support the regulatory permitting and approvals process for a development.
Deltic’s own reservoir modeling, based on data available from the 48/8b-3Z well, suggests two horizontal wells would be sufficient to drain much of the Selene structure, based on the reservoir characteristics.
It sees potential for a minimum-facility, normally unmanned offshore installation over Selene, tied back to the Barque field infrastructure via a 20-km subsea pipeline.
The Barque-Clipper-Bacton gas gathering system and onshore gas processing plant has capacity to accommodate the field’s production, Deltic believes.
The Shell-operated 48/8b-3Z well reached its total depth of 3,540 m TVDSS on Oct. 17 and proved a 160-m thick section of Leman Sandstone, Deltic reported in late October. The top of the Leman Sandstone was encountered about 70 m deep to prognosis with elevated mud gas readings, confirming the presence of gas, observed throughout the reservoir interval and into the underlying Carboniferous basement.
