IOG said drilling of the Blythe H2 well began in the early hours of Sunday, March 5.
The operation is being carried out by the Noble Hans Deul jack-up drilling rig, soon to be renamed Shelf Perseverance. IOG signed a contract for the vessel in 2020 with Shelf Drilling. IOG noted that Petrofac is the designated operator of the well.
The H2 well is expected to take approximately three months to drill, complete and connect, subject to offshore operational risks common to the schedule, IOG said in its statement.
The company’s plans take into account certain periods of H1 production shutdown that are necessary for full compliance with offshore safety regulations. IOG further noted in its statement that under the safety case of the Blythe platform, on Sunday, February 26, the H1 well was taken offline to facilitate the safe movement of the platform, interface and operations of top hole drilling.
A total of 12 days of planned shutdowns in March are estimated to result in lower average production this month. A shorter planned outage will also be required upon completion of the H2 well to allow for a safe connection to production, the statement said.
“The Blythe H2 well has the potential to significantly improve our current production levels, reduce water-in-the-pipe production and minimize associated opex. It also has the potential for quick payback and will allow us to increase flow effective from mid-2023,” said Rupert Newall, CEO of IOG.
“I would like to thank our team for their outstanding efforts in expediting this well, securing the 36 necessary permits and getting the rig moved to the Blythe platform efficiently and ahead of schedule. This is the first well that has been designed , designed and planned by our new IOG team working with our key contractors Shelf, Petrofac and ODE. We are very focused on ensuring a safe, efficient and successful execution,” Newall noted, adding that while , the company is progressing its detailed post-A2 technical assessment of Southwark and other key assets in the portfolio to optimize its plans further. this well
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