Premier Oil found gas while drilling at the Tolmount East well in the North Sea, the company announced on Thursday.
The 42/28d-14 well in P1330, Block 42/28d was targeting 220 BCF of P50 gross resource, in an undrilled area four kilometers east of the 500 BCF Tolmount gas field in the UK Southern Gas Basin.
The well penetrated 241 feet of gas bearing high quality Leman sands with a net-to-gross ratio of 71%, porosity of 16% and gas saturation of 82%. The quality and thickness of reservoir sands encountered are at the upper end of expectations and no gas water contact was penetrated. A full Logging-While-Drilling and wireline acquisition program was undertaken, including extensive pressure data and fluid sampling. The reservoir section was successfully cored with 216 feet being recovered.
Premier Oil CEO Tony Durrant said, “We are delighted with this commercial discovery at Tolmount East, the development of which will add significant value to our UK portfolio.”
Premier Oil said the find also has positive implications for other targets within the Greater Tolmount area, including Tolmount Far East and the Mongour discovery.
The well data will now be integrated with the new 3D seismic dataset as part of the fast-track development planning for Tolmount East. This is already well advanced ahead of project sanction targeted for the second half of 2020.
Tolmount East will be tied back to the Tolmount platform, which is scheduled to come on stream the the second half of 2020.
“We are making excellent progress with our sanctioned Tolmount development which remains on schedule for first gas by the end of next year and will add a net 20,000 to 25,000 boepd to Group production,” Durrant said.
Premier Oil holds 50% operated interest in the project, and partner Dana Petroleum holds the remaining 50% stake.