DNO: Heather demonstrates potential of mature fields

Nov. 17, 2000
DNO Heather Ltd. said its recent success with an infill well in Heather Field demonstrates that mature fields in the North Sea still have much oil to deliver. DNO doubled production from Heather field to 8,500 b/d by bringing infill well H-61z on stream. The field is east of Shetlands on Block 2/5.


DNO Heather Ltd. said its recent success with an infill well in Heather Field demonstrates that mature fields in the North Sea still have much oil to deliver. DNO doubled production from Heather field to 8,500 b/d by bringing infill well H-61z on stream. The field is east of Shetlands on Block 2/5.

The last time Heather produced at that level was in 1993. Production is, however, expected to decline over the next few weeks.

H-61z was producing 4,500 b/d of oil with tubing head pressure of 1,700 psi. The well was also producing 650 cfg/bbl produced, allowing operators to suspend gas importation. It was designed to develop untapped oil in fault blocks on the northern edge of the field.

"DNO�s objectives have been to refine the description of the Heather reservoir, which is known to be complex, and to deploy modern well construction techniques to raise production and increase recovery from the field. Well H-61z was side-tracked from a previously suspended well (H-58z) and reached a total depth of 15,500 ft. The Heather reservoir is only 250 ft thick but the well was steered sub-horizontally through three fault blocks and penetrated a total of 2,300 ft of gross reservoir," said Stewart Watson, CEO.

DNO took over the field from Unocal Corp. earlier this year and extended the expected field life by 10 years or more (OGJ, May 1, 2000, p. 26).