Deltic Energy plc has been formally awarded six licences comprising 12 new blocks in the UK’s 32nd offshore licensing round.
SEISMIC
All the licences are on a 100% equity position, except P2558, which is jointly awarded with Shell UK holding a 70% working interest.
Deltic said the awards reinforced its strategy of creating a steady ‘conveyor belt’ of licences that can be matured and support a long-term programme of exploration wells.
The discoveries would also extend the life of existing infrastructure and help develop new gas production hubs.
Five of the licences are in the southern North Sea gas basin, taking the company’s total to ten.
Deltic now controls more than 2,733 km2 of contiguous licences from south of the Breagh gas field to the Cupertino area located towards the west of the Cygnus gas field.
The company regained blocks 43/11 and 43/12 containing the Cadence prospect in licence P2567.
Deltic has worked extensively on seismic data and other dataset and the prospect is ready to drill.
The company was jointly awarded with Shell an additional licence of P2558 (Pensacola North) covering two-part blocks, 41/5b & 42/1b, adjacent to the JV’s existing Pensacola licence (P2252).
Deltic has a 30% working interest and will be the operator.
Licences P2560, P2561, P2562, Breagh South, lie in the underexplored area to the south of the Breagh gas field and its existing licence P2424, where the Cortez prospect lies.
The company considers this area to have significant potential with multiple leads.
In the central North Sea, P2542 contains two prospects previously identified and which Deltic believes have significant potential.