BP tests 20,000 b/d of oil at West of Shetland appraisal

BP Exploration has gauged a hefty oil flow at an appraisal well in Schiehallion field in the U.K.'s West of Shetland frontier. Well 204/20-5 flowed as much as 20,000 b/d of 26 oil, with an average 18,000 b/d stabilized rate. About 714,000 bbl were processed and stored in the Savonita dynamically positioned tanker for transport to BP's Rotterdam refinery. The Henry Goodrich semisubmersible rig drilled 204/20-5 last April-June, to 4,000 m measured depth with a horizontal section of 1,700

Aug. 28, 1995

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BP Exploration has gauged a hefty oil flow at an appraisal well in Schiehallion field in the U.K.'s West of Shetland frontier.

Well 204/20-5 flowed as much as 20,000 b/d of 26 oil, with an average 18,000 b/d stabilized rate. About 714,000 bbl were processed and stored in the Savonita dynamically positioned tanker for transport to BP's Rotterdam refinery.

The Henry Goodrich semisubmersible rig drilled 204/20-5 last April-June, to 4,000 m measured depth with a horizontal section of 1,700 m. The flow test began June 1 and was completed July 20.

A group led by Victoria Oilfield Development carried out the well test for the Schiehallion group. The field is marked for development with a floating unit (OGJ, June 19, p. 26).

Schiehallion lies in 375 m of water in Blocks 204/20, 204/25b, 205/16, and 205/21b, all operated by BP, and Block 204/25a, operated by Amerada Hess Ltd. (see map, OGJ, June 20, 1994, p. 17).

Participants in Blocks 204/20, 204/25b, 205/16, and 205/21b are BP and Shell U.K. Exploration & Production 50% each.

Partners in Block 204/25a are Amerada Hess 47.05% and Aran Energy Exploration Ltd., OMV (U.K.) Ltd., and Murphy Petroleum Ltd. 17.65% each.

Mackay Consultants, Inverness, Scotland, recently called West of Shetland "disappointing" for lack of exploratory successes (OGJ, Aug. 21, p. 28).

Support vessel

Meanwhile, a British unit of Reading & Bates Corp., Houston, agreed in principle to buy the Iolair support vessel from BP for service in West of Shetland. Iolair is a dynamically positioned semisubmersible built in 1982 to a BP design for field support and living accommodations.

The vessel, upon delivery to Reading & Bates (U.K.) Ltd. in September, will work for BP for about 3 months in Foinaven field in the West of Shetland theater.

The vessel has been in service since delivery, chiefly in BP's Forties field in the U.K. North Sea. It is currently working for BP in the southern North Sea. n

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