Tuesday 15 August 2017

Private equity-backed explorer Azinor Catalyst has spudded an exploration well on the Partridge prospect in the Outer Moray Firth off the UK using semi-submersible Ocean Guardian.

The 14/11a-2 probe is targeting a pre-drill recoverable resource estimate of 119 million barrels of oil equivalent at the prospect in Azinor’s wholly-owned and operated blocks 14/11a, 14/12a and 14/16a, with an upside case of 260 million boe.

The North Sea well, which will be drilled to a total vertical depth of 2450 metres after being spudded early on Tuesday, has an estimated duration of 30 days, the UK-focused company, backed by Seacrest Capital Group, said in a statement.

“The high-impact Partridge well is our first operated exploration well and a significant milestone for the company,” Azinor managing director Nick Terrell said.

Partridge is a large structurally-controlled stratigraphic trap comprising deep-water mass flow sands of the Lower Cretaceous Scapa Sandstone Member and has an associated direct hydrocarbon indicator.

The Diamond Offshore-owned rig has also been lined up to drill a subsequent appraisal well that will test both the Agar discovery and Plantain prospect, which are are located in blocks 9/9d and 9/14a in the South Viking Graben, about 12-kilometres east of Apache’s Beryl field. Azinor holds a 50% interest in the blocks.

“Both of these wells and plays have huge prospectivity,” Terrell added.