Husky-Suncor find more oil near White Rose

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 23 -- The North Amethyst E-17 well in the White Rose area on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland found a likely 60 million bbl of light crude oil in place in the Cretaceous Hibernia formation, said Husky Energy Inc., Calgary.

Husky Energy estimated the range of oil in place in the Hibernia formation to be 30-85 million bbl of oil. It drilled the well in the fall of 2008 to delineate the Cretaceous Ben Nevis Avalon formation, the producing formation at White Rose field, and to explore the deeper Hibernia formation.

The well cut a net 55 m of high quality Hibernia reservoir. Husky Energy said initial studies indicate that the oil could be developed from the recently installed satellite infrastructure at North Amethyst.

The Hibernia formation resource is in addition to that discovered in the main White Rose pool in the 1980s when oil flowed from the Hibernia formation in the E-09 well. New analysis of the well data is very encouraging, Husky Energy said.

The E-09 discovery contains an estimated 170 million bbl of light crude in place with a range of 100 to 250 million bbl. The resources will continue to be evaluated and appraised by more drilling before development options are finalized.

The results suggest that significant additional potential exists in the White Rose area, and Husky Energy will further evaluate the potential in its program of development drilling and near field exploration in the Jeanne D’Arc basin, the company said.

As part of that strategy, Husky Energy and its partner have acquired the NL09-1 parcel of land in the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board 2009 land sale. The parcel, adjacent to Husky Energy’s existing land holdings in the North Amethyst area, will allow Husky Energy to expedite its assessment of the potential of the Hibernia formation in the region.

Husky Energy is operator of White Rose oil field with 72.5% working interest. Suncor Energy holds 27.5%. Husky Energy holds 68.875% working interest in the North Amethyst satellite field with Suncor Energy’s working interest at 26.125% and government entity Nalcor Energy at 5%.