North Sea independent explorer Jersey Oil & Gas says the Verbier prospect, due to be drilled by Statoil this summer, contains 162 MMboe mean prospective resources.
The estimate - and increase on a previous 118 MMboe estimate - was made by ERC Equipoise in a compete persons review on the Verbier and Cortina prospects, in UK North Sea license P.2170, in blocks 20/5b & 21/1d, 100km northeast of Aberdeen, in which JOG holds 18% interest. The chance of success on the well has also been increased from 26% to 29%.
Mean prospective resources for the Cortina prospect have also been increased to 124 MMboe from 91 MMboe with a 19% chance of success.
The Verbier prospect is along the northern flank of the Buchan High. Well 20/5a-10Y, drilled by Talisman in 2006, penetrated 46ft (14m) of oil-bearing Upper Jurassic sandstone within the Kimmeridge Clay Formation, the "J64 Sands". This well lies along strike from the planned 2017 Verbier exploration well.