Byron spuds Gulf of Mexico well. Production to start in January 2018

Byron Energy has started drilling an offshore well at its South Marsh Island 71 block, in the Gulf of Mexico, offshore Louisiana.

According to Byron’s partners Otto Energy, Byron spudded the SM 71 F2 well on Sunday evening, using the Ensco 68 jack-up rig.

The rig is located over the platform to allow the F1 and F2 wells to be completed for production.

The SM 71 F2 well has two targets: the D5 Sand and the B65 Sand. The primary target in the F2 well is the D5 Sand which will serve as an additional D5 take point and extend the D5 proven reserves down-dip from the F1 well.

Otto has said that the second target, the highly prospective B65 Sand, has the potential to double the current field size of SM 71 and will be tested first before drilling ahead to the D5 sand. The well is expected to take around one month to drill and evaluate.

The rig will then be skidded over to the SM 71 F1 well in order to complete the well for production.

First production from the SM 71 F platform is currently expected in late January 2018 following well completion operations.

Otto’s Managing Director, Matthew Allen, commented: “We are very pleased to have commenced drilling and look forward to testing the highly prospective B65 exploration target.” “The commencement of first production from the field remains on schedule for the end of January 2018. These important milestones in the coming short period of time provide opportunities for significant value upside for Otto’s shareholders.”

The production platform for the SM71 project was recently installed at the field location and final commissioning work is ongoing. Subsea pipeline installation works are substantially complete and once the SM 71 F1 and F2 wells are finished in January 2018 the system will be ready to receive hydrocarbons, Otto Energy said.