UK sector

Five wells are active on the UKCS, a drop of two since last month. Two are exploratory; three are appraisal. One is drilling in the Southern North Sea, while the remaining four are split equally, with two West of Shetland and two in the Central North Sea

A total of 11 spuds are recorded to date this year, with an increase of one since last month.

A total of 29 development/production wells utilising mobile units are active, three more than last month. Some 34 rigs are involved in E&A and D&P drilling, while three are in port awaiting contracts, the JW McLean remains stacked. be suspended as a future producer. The rig, Sedco 712, remains on location ahead of suspension.

Operations continue with GDF Suez’s Palaeocene Marconi exploration well 30/1f13A, where Galaxy II has reached total depth.

Talisman’s Seagull South probe, exploration well 22/29c-8Z, continues operations with the Sedco 711 targeting the Triassic.

ConocoPhillips’ Jade appraisal well 30/2c-J12Z, which had a secondary objective to target a prospect in an adjacent block to the south, was reportedly completed on June 8, with the rig, Maersk Resilient now off location and mobilised to carry out development drilling in the Joanne field.

Since mobilising from Cepheus well 44/12a6, abandoned as a gas discovery last month, the Santa Fe Monarch has spudded GDF Suez’s Romeo exploration well 47/14b-11. This is targeting near-field prospectivity immediately north of the Juliet field, where the primary objective lies in the Rotliegendes.

With no change since last month, both the East Irish Sea and Northern North Sea are devoid of E&A drilling activity.

Given last month’s announcement of two recent discoveries, along with E&A activity being higher than in Norway, it seems the UK sector had picked up somewhat.

However, with only five wells now active at the start of July it seems this spell of activity was, at best, brief.

That said, success rates appear higher this year, with Hurricane’s Lancaster appraisal showing promise, while ConocoPhillips’ Jade appraisal is also speculated as having had a positive outcome, while a discovery at Romeo in the Southern Gas Basin, to add to that already reported at Cepheus, would certainly improve success rates compared to last year.

Of the three wells active, the earliest to spud was well 8/10-6 S for Centrica on the Butch SW prospect utilising the Maersk Giant.

The rig had mobilised from the same operator’s dry well 8/10-5 S on neighbouring Butch East.