Hurricane ‘highly encouraged’ by Lancaster horizontal sidetrack well

UK-based oil and gas exploration company Hurricane Energy has achieved sustainable flow from the 205 21a-7Z horizontal sidetrack well at its Lancaster field west of Shetland Islands.

Hurricane said on Tuesday that it used an electrical submersible pump to achieve a sustainable flow rate of 14,500 stock tank barrels of oil per day with no produced formation water. The flow rate was constrained by the test equipment.

The company also said that the horizontal sidetrack well would be suspended for use as a future producer, providing a second production well ahead of the Early Production System (EPS) phase of development.

Robert Trice, Hurricane’s CEO, said: “We are highly encouraged by this flow rate which reinforces our reservoir model and further demonstrates the production potential of the Lancaster field.”

To remind, Hurricane completed drilling of the 205/21a-7 pilot well back in September proving a hydrocarbon column of at least 620 meters within the basement extending well below structural closure (which is 1,380 meters true vertical depth (sub-sea)) confirming Hurricane’s reservoir model for the Lancaster field.

The next stage involved drilling of the horizontal well, designed to provide a second future production well and additional information to help plan the Lancaster field development.

The company previously stated, that subject to a success of the Lancaster wells, it could make a final investment decision to progress the ES phase of development on Lancaster, which is expected to involve tying back two horizontal wells to an FPSO host facility, in the first half 2017.