from the oil boardsee the last paragraphs in this report
first Brenda output before end of 2005
November 8, 2004 4:37pm
Europe Intelligence Wire
OILEXCO is working on the development plan for its Brenda project in the North Sea with an eye to submitting them to the UK Department of Trade and Industry early in 2005.
The Calgary-based oil company intends to develop the oil reserves on Brenda, in block 15'25 with subsea wells tied back to the Balmoral production semi-submersible, owned by Canadian Natural Resources, next year.
Oilexco is hoping Brenda will be a fast-track project with first oil production in the fourth quarter of next year.
It intends to drill development wells and install subsea systems through 2005, once it has gained government approval.
'Our production engineering effort is currently focused on a design concept for a maximum initial production rate of 35,000 barrels per day from Brenda,' said an Oilexco spokesman.
This could be handled by the Balmoral production facilities, which has spare capacity to cope with 50,000 bpd.
The project consists of two fields Brenda West and Brenda East, plus other compartments of oil reserves.
Oilexco, which is listed on London's Alternative Investment Market, has started drilling the last well cluster of this year's appraisal programme on the project.
Transocean's semi-submersible John Shaw is drilling an appraisal well cluster on Brenda East. It finished a well cluster on Brenda West late in October and found another accumulation of oil from the main field.
Next year, Transocean is providing its semi-submersible Sedco 712 for Oilexco's drilling plans, which includes more appraisal wells on both fields. Oilexco is looking to produce around 35,000 bpd at Brenda in 2006.
Exploration drilling in the UK has stepped up a gear this month.
Shell has spudded an exploration well on the Phoenix prospect in block 22'12a, which lies between its Nelson platform and Paladin's Montrose-Arbroath complex.
The Anglo-Dutch oil major is using Transocean's rig Sedco 711 to drill the exploration wells as it searches for satellites to the Nelson platform.
Last week Shell started production from the Howe field as a subsea tie-back to Nelson.
Also in the central North Sea, Kerr-McGee has started an appraisal well on the Dumbarton discovery, previously known as Jura, to firm up reserves below the abandoned Donan field.
The Oklahoma-based oil firm is planning to redevelop Donan with a floating production storage and offloading vessel and is looking for more reserves to improve project viability.
BG Group is following on from its successful appraisal well on the Maria field by taking Transocean's Sedco 714 rig to drill a well on the NW Seymour prospect.
If successful it could be quickly tied into the nearby Armada platform.
In the southern North Sea, BP has spudded an exploration well on the Eros prospect near its Amethyst complex with jack-up Ensco 92.
Meanwhile, Calgary-based Talisman has said it failed to find commercial oil reserves with the three exploration wells it was drilling in the UK central sector in the third quarter. It drilled on the Cardhu, Roisin and Skate prospects but did not find enough oil to develop.
In the southern sector, Newfield has been unsuccessful with its Cumbria well in block 49'4b.
Licence deals last week included UK oil firm Century Exploration farming into southern North Sea promote blocks operated by Banchory-based geological consultants PGL and its subsidiary Ternan. Century takes a 100% interest in four blocks 48'28b, 52'3a, 52'4b and 52'5b and will work with PGL to follow up on exploration leads. These blocks lie close to Bacton gas terminals, between the Norfolk coast and the Hewett gas field.
US oil firm Antrim Energy has increased its stake in the Osprey Ridge area of the northern North Sea, where it hopes to drill an exploration well in 2005.
Antrim will hold a 57.6% interest in block 211'22a, which lies between Shell's Cormorant and Dunlin oil fields and has two existing discoveries to exploit. One of the discoveries was tested at flow rates of 6,186 barrels of oil per day.
'Block 211'22a contains two oil discoveries and Antrim will pursue both exploration and development opportunities related to these discoveries,' said Stephen Greer, Antrim chairman and chief executive.