IOG plc said it had overcome mechanical issues to record a successful flow test at the Elgood gas development well 48/22c-7 in the UK North Sea.
The company took longer than expected before intersecting 1,080 ft high-quality Permian Leman Sandstone reservoir along hole between 14,290 ft measured depth (MD) and 15,370 ft MD, with a net gross ratio of 91%, good porosity at 12.4% and average log-derived permeability of 13.3 milliDarcies (mD) versus the P50 prediction of 5mD.
“Over recent days the well was successfully cleaned up and flow tested,” said the company in a statement.
“Test rates were ahead of expectations, with a maximum rate of 57.8 mmscf/d of gas and 959 bbl/d condensate through a 80/64th inch choke, constrained by surface facilities on the Noble Hans Deul jack-up rig.”
PHASE 1
The well is the first Phase 1 development well and part of the company’s wider infrastructure-led hub strategy.
The Elgood field is planned to be produced as a subsea tie-back via the 6″ pipeline to the platform at the Blythe field after the single development well at Blythe has also been drilled.
The subsea tree will be controlled via the umbilical being installed over the coming weeks.
ISSUES
IOG reported a number of mechanical issues on the Elgood well since it spudded in April 2021, which extended the planned three-month operations.
Chief executive Andrew Hockey said that the company had expected the Elgood well to be technically challenging as it was the first development well drilled on the smallest Phase 1 field and the only subsea tie-back in the programme.
Measures are being instigated to limit the potential for similar mechanical issues to occur in subsequent wells.
The Noble Hans Deul rig is expected to mobilise within the next week to the Blythe field before moving to Southwark.
Due to the extended duration at Elgood, the Blythe well despite being shorter is now expected to be completed by October 2021, with Phase 1 first gas during Q4 2021.
DATA REVIEW
IOG will conduct a technical review on the range of ultimate recoverable gas from the reservoir, based on further modelling and analysis of several months’ production.
The company added that near-term Elgood cashflows were likely to exceed the company’s planning base case due to the higher than expected clean-up flow rates and high gas prices.