Transocean Leader rig spuds Warwick Deep well off UK

Transocean Leader semi-submersible drilling rig has started drilling the 205/26b-C well (Warwick Deep) located off the UK for Hurricane Energy and Spirit Energy. 

The semi-sub Transocean Leader headed to the West of Shetland location earlier in April to start the drilling campaign for Spirit Energy and Hurricane Energy targeting one of the most watched offshore prospects of the year in the Greater Warwick Area.

The well was spud at 18:48 hrs on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, according to Hurricane Energy’s statement on Wednesday.

Warwick Deep is the first in a three-well program on Hurricane’s Lincoln and Warwick assets – the Greater Warwick Area (GWA).

Hurricane has a 50% interest in the GWA following Spirit Energy’s farm-in to the P1368 South and P2294 licenses in September 2018.

Spirit Energy and Hurricane committed to a work program which envisages first oil on the GWA by 2020 and the final investment decision (FID) on the first phase of a full field development by 2021. This is intended to unlock initial reserves of half a billion barrels (gross) from current GWA resources.

Spirit Energy will ultimately take on the role of GWA license operator, following successful drilling during 2019 and 2020.

GWA work program

The GWA work program will be conducted in two phases. Namely, the Phase 1 program, scheduled for 2019, includes drilling, logging, and testing of three exploration and appraisal wells to accelerate the appraisal of the Lincoln discovery and exploration of the Warwick prospect.

Earlier this year, energy intelligence firm Rystad Energy placed the Warwick on its list of top wildcat wells to watch this year, citing Hurricane’s pre-drill estimate of 935 million boe (Best Case Prospective Resources), and an indicated 77% chance of success.

The first phase will also fund the purchase of long lead items to allow the tie-back of one or more GWA wells to the Aoka Mizu FPSO in 2020 and carry out host modifications of the Aoka Mizu. Hurricane will be fully carried through the $180.6 million program.

Phase 2 is scheduled for 2020 assuming that Phase 1 is successful and FID is taken to proceed with the GWA well tie-back.

The second phase includes the tie-back of one GWA well to the Aoka Mizu, completion of host modifications of the Aoka Mizu, tie-in to the West of Shetland Pipeline (WOSP) system for gas export, allowing for first oil from an Early Production System (EPS) on the GWA in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Offshore Energy Today Staff

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