Ithaca’s fourth Stella well flows at 12,005 boepd

Ithaca Energy Inc. has announced the successful completion of flow test operations on the fourth development well on the Stella field, in the UK North Sea, with the well achieving a flow rate of 12,005 barrels of oil equivalent per day (“boepd”).

Well 30/6a-B2Z (“B2”) is the fourth development well drilled on the Stella field. The well was drilled to a total measured depth subsea of 14,461 feet, with a 2,396 foot gross horizontal reservoir section completed in the Palaeocene Andrew sandstone reservoir. The well intersected high quality sands across a net reservoir interval of 1,658 feet, equating to 69% net pay.

As with the previous three Stella development wells, a clean-up flow test was performed on the B2 well in order to effectively remove the drilling fluids used to complete the well. As part of the testing programme the well was flowed at various rates over approximately a 38-hour flowing period in order to obtain additional data and fluid samples from its location on the crest of the structure to assist with reservoir management planning for the field. A maximum flow test was completed during the period, with the well flowing at a rate of 12,005 boepd on a 48/64-inch choke. This rate comprised 5,901 barrels of oil per day and 36.6 million standard cubic feet per day of gas. Fluid samples show that the oil is approximately 47° API.

The B2 well is currently in the process of being suspended, with operations scheduled to be completed by the end of the month. The suspension configuration is such that the well can be brought on to production without the requirement for any further well intervention activity once the “FPF-1” floating production facility is on location and hooked up.

Upon completion of operations on the B2 well the ENSCO 100 will be moved approximately three kilometres to the Main Drill Centre to drill a fifth well on the field, in the Stella Ekofisk reservoir that underlies the main Stella Andrew reservoir.

The Ekofisk well is targeting light oil production in a chalk formation. The characteristics of the formation mean that initial production rates are likely to be lower than those displayed by the wells in the Andrew sandstone reservoir. Completion of the fifth well, which is expected to be in early 2015, will mark the end of the planned Stella development drilling campaign.

Following completion of the B2 well suspension operations, four Stella Andrew reservoir development wells will have been completed, with the combined maximum clean-up flow test results achieved by the wells being in excess of 45,000 boepd. This well production capacity significantly de-risks the initial annualised production forecast for the Greater Stella Area hub of approximately 30,000 boepd (100%), 16,000 boepd net to Ithaca.

Les Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, commented:
“We are very pleased to have delivered another successful flow test on this the fourth Stella field development well. The combined results of the four completed wells represent a major step forward in underpinning and realising the full value of the Stella field development.”