Wireline - Summer 2017

Hurricane Energy has the wind in its sails after making a high profile – and potentially game-changing – breakthrough in its exploration and appraisal programme west of Shetland. Wireline met chief executive Dr Robert Trice to find out why he believes this could be highly significant for the UK Continental Shelf. HURRICANE – a force to be reckoned with

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Warwick prospects. The former was the subject of successful exploration drilling in late 2016, the latter is as-yet undrilled. Pioneeringprojects For Robert, however, there’s an even bigger story that extends beyond the The latest drilling results vindicate his long-held conviction that fractured basement reservoirs represent a largely untapped opportunity. From the outset, Hurricane has been a pioneer in its focus on this distinctive geological occurrence typically found under softer sedimentary sandstone. west of Shetland to a potential game-changer in the UKCS story.

“The fact that Halifax has an extensive column and that we cannot map a barrier between Lancaster and Halifax, gives us the belief that it’s a single accumulation,” says CEODr Robert Trice. “Of course, further appraisal will be needed to confirmour model, and a top priority will be to demonstrate commercial flow at Halifax and pressure communication between Halifax and Lancaster. “Even if they are different fields, we have a whacking great big oil column at Halifax and the same at Lancaster. There’s no obvious downside.” In uncertain times, this has generated a welcome wave of industry optimism, with the potential for more good news fromHurricane’s nearby Lincoln and

hen Hurricane Energy confirmed inMarch that its Halifax well was indeed an oil discovery, the prospect of amajor new development on the west of Shetland captured the industry’s imagination. Initial results from the latest drilling programme indicate there is a “very significant” hydrocarbon column of at least 1,156metres within the fractured basement reservoir at Halifax. The data also suggest that Halifax and Lancaster – which itself has estimated recoverable reserves of almost 600million barrels – are one linked structure, representing potentially the largest undeveloped discovery on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

“Inmy view, our results support the argument that fractured basement is

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| W I R E L I N E | SUMMER 2017 | I I |