Development ongoing in Tullow North Sea project

Tullow Oil has released details of its redevelopment of the Schooner-Ketch programme in the North Sea.

The Ketch-7 horizontal production well, which was spudded on June 2, showed 540 feet of net pay. The well had higher-than-expected reservoir pressures and now that testing has been completed will be connected the Ketch production facilities.

The first production from Ketch-7 is scheduled for early next month.

The company expects Ketch-7 to increase the production capability of Schooner and Ketch to over 100 mmscfd.

Meanwhile, the NW Schooner appraisal well, targeting an extension of the main Schooner field, has encountered gas-bearing reservoir sands.

The section has been logged and indicates a net pay of some 275 feet. The well is being completed for testing, which is expected to begin at the end of the month.

Should the test yield commercial flow rates, the well will be suspended and the pipeline laid for a tie-in to the Schooner platform in mid-2007.

Tullow CEO David Heavey said: “We are very pleased with the progress to date on the Schooner-Ketch redevelopment programme and the encouraging results from the NW Schooner appraisal well.

“Since acquiring the fields in early 2005 we have significantly improved reliability and uptime and are now materially enhancing production and reserve potential.

“With the ongoing strength of UK gas pricing we are seeing excellent returns from these assets.”

Tullow is listed on the ISEQ and FTSE 250 exchanges. It has interests in about 90 exploration and production projects across 17 countries, mostly in north-west Europe, Africa and south Asia.

The group bought its interest in Schooner-Ketch from Shell and Esso in April 2005 for $378m (€297.4m).