UK independent explorer Cairn Energy has completed drilling on its latest Shelf North Edge well, or SNE-5, and is getting ready for its next target, offshore Senegal.
Cairn says the initial results on the SNE-5 well were in line with expectations and drilling, using the Stena DrillMAX drillship, was ahead of schedule and under budget.
The Stena DrillMAX is now set to move to drill the Vega-Regulus (VR-1) well, about 5 km to the west of the SNE-1 discovery.
VR-1 will assess the Vega-Regulus Aptian exploration target, underlying the SNE field, with mean prospective resource of more than 100 MMbbl, and an appraisal objective in the SNE field.
According to partner FAR, SNE contains about 348 MMbbl of 1C (P90), 641 MMbbl of 2C (P50), or 1.128 billion bbl of 3C (P10) of contingent resources.
The SNE-5 well will help Cairn define a development concept for the field, which currently centers on a floating production unit, that would act as a hub for further discoveries in the area, with first production estimated for 2021-23.
Cairn says the SNE-5 well, targeting Upper Reservoirs, had pressure data and fluid contacts that matched previous SNE wells, with similar quality oil.
Two drill stem tests over gross intervals of 18m and 8.5m and were in line with expectations. One, from the 18m interval, flowed at a maximum rate of ~4500 b/d on a 60/64in choke. The other flowed at a maximum rate of 4200 b/d on 64/64in choke.
The SNE-5 well has been plugged and abandoned.
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