Ithaca Flows Gas at Hurricane

UK explorer Ithaca Energy has noted flow rates of 24 million standard cubic feet (MMscf) of gas a day after a successful drill stem test (DST) on its Hurricane appraisal well in the UK North Sea.

The well, Hurricane appraisal well 29/10b-8, also charted 1,200 barrels of gas condensate a day on the same test. The gas flowed on a 44/64 inch choke. 

Core sampling was taken from the well, following an intersection Eocene Rogaland sandstone with an average porosity of 28% over the net sands at 32 feet, Ithaca said today. Fluid sampling and downhole pressure data also obtained have confirmed the presence of liquid rich gas throughout the interval, Ithaca says, with a condensate-gas ratio (CGR) of between 60 and 110 barrels of condensate per MMscf. This data was enough to negate the need to perform a well test on this interval. 

The well also intersected 20 feet of Palaeocene Andrew sandstone reservoir, similar, Ithaca says, to the nature and thickness of Andrew sandstone reservoir of the Stella field, located approximately 10 kilometres east of Hurricane. 

The company says the results will now inform its next steps for the Greater Stella Area, Chief Technical Officer of Ithaca, Nick Muir, said.

"A work programme has already been launched to assess the development options and ultimately recoverable volumes for Hurricane, both in terms of the Rogaland and Andrew reservoirs, and the optimal solution for its integration into the ongoing development of the nearby Stella and Harrier fields; this will include the likely use of the current well as a producer," he said. "All the major contracts for the Stella development have now been awarded and the next key milestone will be the selection of the yard in which the modification works will be performed on the FPF-1 floating production unit."

Ithaca is the operator of the Greater Stellar Area licence with a 54.66 per cent stake. Dyas UK holds a 25.34 per cent stake with Petrofac Energy Developments UK holding the remaining 20 per cent stake.