Falkland Islands oil and gas producer Rockhopper Exploration Plc has announced that its net contingent oil reserves have doubled to more than 300 million barrels, and independent experts are now eyeing this as nearly billion-barrel basin.
Falkland Oil and Gas plans to continue drilling into next year, its chief executive said, defying legal threats made by the Argentine government against oil explorers in the Falkland Islands.
The Falkland Islands Government welcomed Thursday's announcement by Premier Oil and partners that the 14/20-1 ‘Isobel Deep’ exploration well has been declared an oil discovery. Isobel Deep in the North Falkland basin, is the second well of a six-well offshore campaign planned to take place in the Islands waters through 2015.
Premier Oil’s high-impact Falklands Isobel Deep well has hit oil shows in a suspected high pressure formation, partners Rockhopper Exploration and Falkland Oil & Gas Ltd., said Tuesday morning. But, the area will now have to be cased, delaying the drilling program.
Premier Oil, currently involved in successful exploratory drilling in the Falkland Islands, produced less oil and gas in the first quarter of the year, but its output of 60,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) was above guidance, sending its shares higher on Wednesday.
Energy company Rockhopper Exploration and Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd., have announced that drilling operations at Isobel Deep well have recommenced. Isobel Deep is located in the North Falklands basin and is part of the current round of drilling in Falklands' waters.
The Falkland Islands maintain strong regulatory oversight on all oil and gas operations and its offshore safety regime is based on the North Sea’s Safety Case regulatory structure, recognized as one of the highest standards in the world, said the Falklands' government in a release following concerns related to technical issues on the rig Eirik Raude, currently operating in the South Atlantic.
Argentina's Foreign Ministry expressed concerns on Friday over the failure in the blow-out preventer, BOP, valve of the “Isobel Deep” exploration well currently being drilled to the north of the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, as reported by Falkland Oil and Gas Limited (FOGL).
Following its success with the Zebedee drill, the rig Eirik Raude is moving a short distance to start the second well of the latest Falkland Islands exploration campaign. The next target of the current four prospects exploration campaign is Isobel Deep, later followed by Jayne East and finally Chatham.
Premier Oil spudded its first 2015 Falklands drilling campaign well, 14/15-5, using the Eirik Raude semisubmersible drilling rig on the Zebedee prospect on 6 March. The well, on license PL004b, will test a total of seven stacked fan bodies with varying geological chances of success (GCoS) of 9-52%.