Blog & News

REVIEW: Maxwell Gas Discovery Oil Finders Lunch

Tue 05 July 2016

Category: Aberdeen, Networking, North Sea, Reviews

The second AAPG/PESGB Oil Finders Lunch saw 43 people gather at the Atholl Hotel in Aberdeen to hear Mike Cooper of Arenite Petroleum talk about the Maxwell Gas Discovery in the Southern North Sea. Mike gave an overview of the Cleveland Basin and focussed on the Zechstein carbonate reservoirs with particular emphasis on the Plattendolomite. A large structure at Plattendolomite level exists immediately offshore North Yorkshire which has been penetrated by several wells. All these wells encountered gas bearing Plattendolomite which could form a single gas column around 1500’ long.  This large structure is bounded to the west by a fault system called the Peak Graben which runs sub parallel to the coast coming onshore in the Scarborough area. The Plattendolomite reservoir has been charged by Zechstein sourced gas which is distinctly wetter than the more typical Carboniferous sourced gas. Potential Plattendolomite reserves are estimated at 690 bcf and require a well to confirm commercial deliverability. This well could be drilled from an onshore location to the offshore target.

Colin Percival then summarised the Ranger farmin opportunity available from Summit Petroleum. The Ranger prospect has a Balmoral target with oil in place of 65 mmbbl which has a distinct far offset amplitude anomaly interpreted as a hydrocarbon effect. The prospect is to be drilled late 2016/2017 at a dry hole cost of £5.1 – £6.7 million and Summit have 100% equity. Colin then reviewed the 2016 UKCS E&A wells drilled to date (7 including one sidetrack). These include two completed wells (Farragon South and Laverda/Slough), one well currently being sidetracked (Finlaggan) and three active wells (Loanan, Eagle and Winchelsea). The only confirmed discovery to date is Laverda which encountered 13’ net oil pay in the Tay Formation to the north of the Catcher Field which is under development.

The lunch was kindly sponsored by Arenite Petroleum.


The next Oil Finders Lunch will be on Thursday 1st September when Apache will give a talk on their current activity on the UKCS.
If you are interested in presenting at the Oil Finders Lunch please contact colin.percival@parkmeadgroup.com