MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands offshore exploration drilling agenda for Rockhopper

The rig Ocean Guardian hit oil at the Sea Lion prospect in 2010

Rockhopper Exploration has issued details of its next planned exploration wells offshore the Falkland Islands. The details were published on the Offshore site 23 December. Rockhopper was the first of several companies operating in Falklands waters to confirm the existence of oil and gas.

 One well will be on the Sea Lion discovery to determine whether a non-equilibrium gas cap is present on the west flank. If it there is no gas cap, resources for Sea Lion could be upgraded by 65 MMbbl to 402 MMbbl. If the gas cap is present, the wellbore will be retained for use as a future gas injector/producer in the field development.

There is a deeper exploration target (Chatham) in a northerly-fed channel complex. If drilling proves successful, the reserves could be tied back to the Sea Lion offshore production complex.

Another well will be drilled on Isobel/Elaine in license PL004a in the North Falkland basin, where Rockhopper has increased its interest from 3% to 24%. This well is designed to intersect six stacked exploration objectives, all within the F3 sequence, with potential combined reserves of 1.078 Bbbl.

Prime objectives are Elaine South and Isobel Deep, large fans sourced from a basement terrace in the southeast. Rockhopper says feeder systems are well imaged on attribute maps and amplitudes, while isopach defines the downdip fan extent.

The planned Zebedee well will be drilled in block PL004b (Rockhopper 24%). It will intersect eight stacked exploration targets, with combined potential of 1.183 Bbbl.

Zebedee is on the west flank of the regional syncline. This is an easterly fed fan that shares the same feeder as the Casper South discovery.

On block PL004c (Rockhopper 24%), the Jayne East well will test the F2 sands on the east flank of the regional syncline. These include the known Beverley and Casper South fans, both oil and gas bearing on the west flank. In addition the well will test the Zebedee fan.

There are five objectives at the Jayne East location, with combined potential of 289 MMbbl.