Ireland's hopes of becoming an oil producing nation have received a blow with Statoil (U.K.) Ltd. reporting "disappointing" results from an extended well test in Connemara find on offshore Block 26/29.
Although figures have not been disclosed, Statoil has moved Berge Hugin storage tanker off the field and started drilling a second well in Connemara with J.W. McLean semisubmersible.
Statoil hopes to flow test this second well, which is intended to enter a higher reservoir in the field, in mid-September. The company has shelved its plan to begin oil production from Connemara in mid-1998.
Connemara has estimated reserves of 20-50 million bbl of oil and was discovered in 350 m of water by BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd. in 1979 (OGJ, June 5, 1995, p. 18).
BP declared Connemara discovery noncommercial and subsequently relinquished the block. Dublin's Aran Energy plc took over the license, and Statoil took over Aran in 1995.
Statoil earlier said its multi-purpose shuttle tanker/production ship concept could make Connemara development viable, and it plans to use one of a small fleet of such ships under construction (OGJ, Oct. 21, 1996, p. 24).
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