Providence sees more of larger Dragon off Ireland

Oct. 7, 2011
Providence Resources PLC said a 3D seismic inversion study over the 1994 Dragon gas-liquids discovery in the St. George’s Channel basin off eastern Ireland indicates the potential for 300 bscf of initial gas in place, triple the earlier estimate.

Providence Resources PLC said a 3D seismic inversion study over the 1994 Dragon gas-liquids discovery in the St. George’s Channel basin off eastern Ireland indicates the potential for 300 bscf of initial gas in place, triple the earlier estimate.

The Dragon discovery well is in UK Block 103/1, and the Dragon structure extends extends across the median line into Providence-operated SEL 1/07 about 40 km off Ireland. Providence has applied for Block 103/1 as part of a recent UK out-of-round process. Providence also sees increased resource potential in Providence-operated Block 51/1.

The remapping suggests that around 75% of the resource may lie under Irish waters, the reverse of earlier findings. The discovery well is roughly midway between Ireland and Wales.

Providence has begun further reprocessing the 3D seismic data as part of the planning of an appraisal well to be drilled in 2012. The discovery well in 318 ft of water flowed at 20 MMscfd of gas and 120 b/d of 42° gravity liquids from Upper Jurassic Callovian and Oxfordian sands below 7,500 ft (see map, OGJ, Nov. 7, 1994, p. 35).