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Windsor Castle wildcat stymied

July 29, 1996

Plans by Canuk Exploration Ltd., Gerard's Cross, U.K., to drill a prospect below Windsor Castle-sometime home to Britain's royal family-have been stymied. Canuk Director Desmond Oswald said the U.K. government refused his bid to extend an exploration license for the tract that expired Dec. 31, 1995. Oswald said, "I was told I will have to wait for another onshore licensing round to get a new license." The U.K. government has no current plans for another onshore license round.

Plans by Canuk Exploration Ltd., Gerard's Cross, U.K., to drill a prospect below Windsor Castle-sometime home to Britain's royal family-have been stymied.

Canuk Director Desmond Oswald said the U.K. government refused his bid to extend an exploration license for the tract that expired Dec. 31, 1995.

Oswald said, "I was told I will have to wait for another onshore licensing round to get a new license." The U.K. government has no current plans for another onshore license round.

Canuk identified a prospect 400 m beneath the castle, said to have potential of as much as 100 million bbl of oil. Canuk slated a well last August but missed its drilling window because of problems raising funds (OGJ, Oct. 2, 1995, Newsletter). Meantime, Oswald said Canuk will spend 3 years studying seismic and well data for a gas-prone license area 20 miles north of Oxford.

Canuk is looking to tie in any gas finds there with local gas-fired power projects.