Partners on the Standard Exploration Licence (SEL) 1/11, offshore Ireland,containing the Barryroe oil field, have been granted an extension to the license.
The partners Providence Resources (operator with 80% WI) and Lansdowne Oil & Gas (20% WI) have been granted an about 180sq km increase in the areal extent of SEL 1/11 by Ireland's Minister of State, at the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources for the first phase of the exploration license.
The area lies in about 100m water depth in the North Celtic Sea Basin, about 50km off County Cork, Ireland.
John O'Sullivan, Technical Director of Providence said:"The granting of an increase in the areal extent of SEL 1/11 recognizes the potential significant volumetric upside that exists at Barryroe. The structural closure as mapped now appears to extend further to the south and south-east, however no wells have been drilled as yet to confirm any such extensions to the field area."
Six wells have been drilled on Barryroe to date, with hydrocarbons logged in all of them. Flow tests results were achieved from four of the wells.
Four wells were drilled in the 1970s, by Esso, with a further appraisal well drilled in 1990, by Marathon Oil. The last well, 48/24-10z, was drilled by Providence in 2011-2012.
The field is covered by both 2D and 3D seismic. The successfully tested reservoir sands are of Cretaceous Middle and Lower Wealden age located between about 4500ft true vertical depth subsea (TVDSS) and 7550ft TVDSS.
The oil is light (43°>API) with a>17-20%>wax content.
