Map showing location of the dry well at 22/12d-13 (Jaws). Image credit: NVentures.Shell and Capricorn (50/50 co-venturers) have reported a dry well at 22/12d-13, called the Jaws prospect. The well was spudded on UK North Sea Licence P2380 in November 2021 and reached TD in late January 2022, after encountering 31m of fair to good quality Jurassic reservoir sandstones, but these were water-bearing. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned. Preparations continue to drill on the Diadem prospect in the neighbouring P2379 licence area (Capricorn 50% WI, operator), with an expected spud in Q2 2022. The prospect was mapped as a rotated fault block with three-way dip closure. It has a significant seabed expression; this and the onlapping nature of the shallower sediments of the high indicate that this may be recently active and the structure has undergone recent deformation. Jaws and Diadem lie between the main Forties Montrose Paleogene trend but target the Upper Jurassic Fulmar Sandstone in the interpod play on the Forties Montrose High. In 2020, Shell and Capricorn swapped 50% interest in Permits 2380 and 2379, hoping to target ‘high NPV’ barrels with rapid tie-back in the Nelson area.
Author: Ian Blakeley, NVentures UK
