UK focused Siccar Point said it has completed an exploration well 208/02-1 on the Lyon Prospect in Licence P1854 in the West of Shetland, but the results fell short of expectations.
Operator Siccar Point, which holds 33.34% interest in the license alongside partner Ineos (66.66%), said the well was drilled to test both a new play concept and an extensive seismic amplitude anomaly with attributes characteristic of gas accumulations. The target reservoir was Eocene Balder aged sandstone and the key risk was reservoir presence and quality.
The partners had originally aimed to drill the Lyon exploration well using the West Hercules semisubmersible rig in 2018, but deferred drilling to 2019 to avoid costs and risks associated with winter weather operations.
The well was spud in May 2019 by the world's largest semisubmersible drilling rig, Diamond Ocean GreatWhite, to a depth of 4,005 meters below sea level in 1,452 meters water depth.
The target interval contained 44 meters of siltstone and claystone with gas shows, but the well did not encounter reservoir quality sandstone and the well was plugged and abandoned as a result, Siccar Point said
Jonathan Roger, CEO of Siccar Point, said the firm will look to continue exploration in the area, which he believes “still has prospectivity”.
“[We] will be looking at participating in forthcoming UK licensing rounds in order to do that,” he said.