Successful Skipper well, despite delays

UK based explorer Independent Oil and Gas (IOG) is targeting two prospects thought to contain 46 MMbbl after successfully appraising the Skipper oil discovery in the North Sea.

While drilling the Skipper appraisal well hit delays, due to the need to re-spud the well, and a Force 10 gale, results were "significantly better" than a competent persons report estimate and should mean IOG can reduce the number of wells needed to develop the field, the firm said. 

The Skipper oil discovery is in Block 9/21a in license P1609 in the Northern North Sea. It was successfully drilled to 3860ft and oil samples retrieved.

Oil viscosity looked likely to be in the 50cP - 150cP range. "If these oil properties are confirmed in the laboratory tests, which should be completed in September 2016, the development will require fewer wells than previous assumptions in the CPR thereby reducing the base case development costs," says IOG. 

The firm has now started drilling down to two exploration prospects in the Lower Dornoch and the Maureen formations, beneath the Skipper oil field. CPR estimates put these at having 46 MMbbl of oil in place.

Initial results of this exploration drilling phase of the well are expected to be available before the end of August.

IOG CEO Mark Routh said: "The initial data acquired from the Skipper well, our first operated well, is an excellent result for IOG and operations proceed without any reported safety incidents.

"By retrieving the oil samples, the primary well objectives have been fulfilled and we have proved that the oil is moving in the Skipper reservoir.  This is a significant step for IOG towards achieving the target of being a company with 100 MMboe heading for development, in assets 100% owned as operator.  

"We now move on to drill the exploration prospects, where any further oil discoveries would provide additional upside and look forward to analyzing the results in order to progress the Skipper field development plan as soon as possible, in parallel with our exciting gas assets in the Southern North Sea."

Map of Skipper, from IOG.