Serica Drills Duster off UK

Serica Energy’s exploration well 22/19c-7 into the UK Rowallan prospect reached a total depth of 4,641 metres but it found nothing and has been permanently plugged and abandoned, it said April 4. 

It found a 182m section of sandstone and shale, but it was not found to be hydrocarbon bearing. The well was high pressure and high temperature and so it would have been expensive; but it did not cost Serica as it was paid for by Eni.

Serica's partners in the well were Eni 32% (operator), JX Nippon 25%, Mitsui 20% and Equinor 8%.

CEO Mitch Flegg said Serica was “naturally disappointed that the well has not encountered hydrocarbons. We will now assess the valuable data acquired before deciding the forward plan for the remaining prospects on block 22/19c and adjacent blocks. This result justifies our policy of reducing financial exposure to exploration risk by means of farm-out. In this case we were fully carried and did not pay anything towards the cost of the well.”