Total makes two discoveries in UK's Alwyn area

Nov. 6, 2006
Total E&P UK PLC made two oil and gas discoveries in the Alwyn area in the UK North Sea, 160 km east of the Shetland Islands and 440 km northeast of Aberdeen.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 6 -- Total E&P UK PLC made two oil and gas discoveries in the Alwyn area in the UK North Sea, 160 km east of the Shetland Islands and 440 km northeast of Aberdeen.

The Jura West 3/15-10 well, drilled 10 km east of Dunbar field, intersected more than 300 m of good-quality, gas-bearing Middle Jurassic Brent reservoir.

Jura West is expected to start production in 2008, via a 3 km tieback to the Forvie North subsea manifold, which is linked to the Alwyn North NAB process platform. Plans call for a second development well and a nearby exploration well.

The Jura West discovery comes a few weeks after another exploration well, drilled from the Alwyn North NAA platform. The 3/9a-N50 well encountered 85 m of gas-condensate-bearing sands in the Mesozoic Statfjord formation and 60 m of oil-bearing sands in the overlying Brent formation.

With these two discoveries, Total will extend the production plateau of its Alwyn core area well beyond 2010, the company said.

Production from the Alwyn area includes Alwyn North, Dunbar, Grant, Ellon, Nuggets, and Forvie North fields—all 100% owned and operated by Total.