Activity Survey 2014

Looking at the distribution of the 44 E&A wells drilled in 2013, 45 per cent (20 wells) were in the central North Sea, making it the most active region for E&A activity on the UKCS. The southern North Sea overtook the northern North Sea as the second most active drilling region with 16 per cent of wells drilled (seven wells), while the west of Shetland and west of Britain/Irish Sea had 14 per cent each (six wells each). The northern North Sea went from being the second most active region in 2012, with 26 per cent of wells drilled, to the least active region last year with 11 per cent of wells (14 wells in 2012, five wells in 2013). Considering exploration drilling in isolation, the central North Sea dominated drilling with ten wells, compared with two in the southern North Sea and only one in each of the other three regions (northern North Sea, west of Shetland and west of Britain/Irish Sea).

1

2

3

Figure 11: Exploration and Appraisal Drilling by Region

4

100%

90%

5

80%

70%

60%

6

50%

40%

7

30%

20%

8

10%

Number of Wells Drilled including Sidetracks

0%

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

9

West of Britain/Irish Sea

W of S

SNS

CNS

NNS Source: Oil & Gas UK, DECC

10

11

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