Supermajor Shell has made one of the biggest natural gas discoveries in the southern North Sea in more than a decade.
The discovery in question is the Pensacola prospect which has estimated P50 recoverable resources of 302 billion cubic feet.
The drilled well, designated 41/05a-2, reached a total depth of 1,965 meters of true subsea vertical depth, and the presence of mobile gas and oil in the main Zechstein Hauptdolomite carbonate interval was confirmed by wireline logs .
The well encountered the upper Hauptdolomite reservoir at 1,745 meters and confirmed a reservoir thickness of 18.8 meters with better-than-expected porosity averaging 16 percent. As planned, the well penetrated the edge of the Pensacola structure in a downdip location and has demonstrated a substantial hydrocarbon plume.
After acidification, the gas flowed well at peak rates of about 4.75 million standard cubic feet per day, decreasing to 1.75 million standard cubic feet per day after the 12-hour test. These results align with pre-test expectations based on well derived reservoir parameters.
Being located downstream, the flow rates observed during the well test are not expected to be representative of the flow rates of potential future production wells that would likely target the core portion of the Pensacola structure and are expected to generate higher rates.
Light oil with a preliminary gravity of 34-36° API was also produced at a rate of approximately 18 barrels per day during the well test. The potential of this oil with respect to the Pensacola opportunity remains to be determined.
Based on data collected during drilling and testing, the Pensacola discovery is estimated to contain P50 EUR of 302 billion cubic feet – P90 to P10 range of 164 to 519 bcf – fully aligned with pre-drill guidance . The well will now be capped and abandoned and the Resilient Noble will demobilize from the site.
The Pensacola well is located in license P2252 in the southern North Sea and is operated by Shell with a 65 percent interest. Deltic holds 30 percent, while ONE-Dyas holds the remaining 5 percent.
In a statement released by Deltic, the company’s CEO Graham Swindells commented on the discovery.
“Deltic’s first exploration well in Pensacola has resulted in a very positive result and, at approximately 300 bcf, would represent one of the largest natural gas discoveries in the southern North Sea in more than a decade.”
“This discovery is an important milestone in the development of our company as we continue to execute on our exploration-led strategy and advance our portfolio of high-quality drilling opportunities as we seek to create value for our shareholders “.
“We believe the Pensacola discovery will open up a new Zechstein play in this mature basin and highlights the remaining potential of the North Sea as a source of additional discoveries that can provide domestically produced natural gas, supporting the Kingdom’s energy security United as we transition to a net zero economy”.
“As we continue our preparations to drill the Selene well, we now look forward to working with our partners as we continue to advance this exciting and important gas discovery in Pensacola and look forward to updating the market on our future plans,” he concluded Swindells. .
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