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Ranger starts Pierce extended production test

July 15, 1996

Ranger Oil (U.K.) Ltd. has begun oil production from U.K. North Sea Pierce field with an extended well test intended to appraise the field ahead of full scale development. Production has been established at 19,000 b/d from a single well and is expected to continue for 90 days. Ranger plans to produce two tanker loads of about 600,000 bbl each for shipment to refineries in Europe. The J.W. McLean semisubmersible drilling rig is producing oil from the 23/27-10z well, drilled earlier this year by

Ranger starts Pierce extended production test

Ranger Oil (U.K.) Ltd. has begun oil production from U.K. North Sea Pierce field with an extended well test intended to appraise the field ahead of full scale development.

Production has been established at 19,000 b/d from a single well and is expected to continue for 90 days.

Ranger plans to produce two tanker loads of about 600,000 bbl each for shipment to refineries in Europe.

The J.W. McLean semisubmersible drilling rig is producing oil from the 23/27-10z well, drilled earlier this year by Ranger.

Oil is transferred by flowline to the Hellespont Hope tanker moored 1.5 km away.

Ranger said the well test will be used to assess long term well productivity and reserves and help improve understanding of the field's oil recovery mechanisms.

Development prospects

Development of the field will be operated by BP and is expected to involve use of a floating production system with oil export via tankers. Full scale production is slated for early 1998.

Pierce was discovered in 1976 and straddles the border between Block 23/27, operated by Ranger, and Block 23/22a, operated by BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd.

Pierce field interests are BP 42.7922%, Enterprise Oil Exploration Ltd. 31.2%, Ranger 15.6%, MOC Exploration (U.K.) Ltd. 3.7544%, Agip (U.K.) Ltd. 3.7284%, and Santos Europe Ltd. 2.925%.