Spirit Energy Well Boosts UK Output

Spirit Energy will be able to add up ot 15mn ft³/day to its output from a new well in the Southern North Sea, the Anglo-German joint venture said March 27. The gas comes from the Chiswick field, around 75 miles off the coast of Norfolk, which has been producing gas since 2007. The new well brings overall production from the Greater Markham Area (GMA) to 110mn ft³/d, it said.

The development well was completed two months ahead of schedule and is expected to help extend life of the GMA hub, which is near the UK-Netherlands border, to 2028.

Further, together with partner Dana Petroleum, Spirit Energy has completed the drilling of a new production well at the Chestnut field, which is an oil producer.

Spirit said that the Chiswick well "exceeded our expectations and will provide us with valuable data to identify further drilling targets in the area. At the same time, the work our teams have done alongside our partner Dana Petroleum and our supply chain colleagues, notably Teekay Corporation and Altera Infrastructure, to maximise the potential of the Chestnut field has been exceptional and is making this field a notable success story."

It said that "the industry faces unprecedented challenges but, taken together, the additional gas and oil from Chiswick and Chestnut provide a boost to production from two UK fields at a time when the secure supply of energy is critical.”

Spirit is a joint venture between Centrica and Stadtwerke Munchen. Centrica has announced plans to sell its majority share. The present low demand, low price oil and gas market is expected to see a wave of consolidation.