Total announced on Monday a major gas discovery on the Glendronach prospect, located offshore U.K. west of Shetland, with recoverable resources estimated at about one trillion cubic feet (28.31 billion cubic meters).
'Preliminary tests confirm good reservoir quality, permeability and well production deliverability,' a press release read.
The well was drilled to a final depth of 4,312 meters and encountered a gas column of 42 meters of net pay in a high quality Lower Cretaceous reservoir, it added.
Located on Block 206/04a, in water depth of about 300 meters and in a formation below the Edradour reservoir, the discovery can be developed quickly with the existing infrastructure around the Edradour field and the Laggan-Tormore facilities of the Shetland Gas Plant, according to Total.
'Glendronach is a significant discovery for Total which gives us access to additional gas resources in one of our core areas and validates our exploration strategy,' said President of Exploration and Production Arnaud Breuillac.
'Located on an emerging play of the prolific West of Shetland area, the discovery can be commercialized quickly and at low cost by leveraging the existing Laggan-Tormore infrastructure,' Breuillac added.
The Glendronach discovery is operated by Total E&P U.K. with a 60 percent interest alongside partners Ineos E&P U.K. Limited (20 percent) and SSE E&P U.K. Limited (20 percent).
According to the statement, Total has been present in the U.K. for more than 50 years and is one of the country’s leading oil and gas operators, with AN equity production of 171,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the first half of 2018.
Total’s production in the U.K. comes principally from operated fields located offshore in three major zones, the Alwyn/Dunbar area in the Northern North Sea, the Elgin/Franklin area in the Central North Sea and the Laggan-Tormore hub in the West of Shetland area, and from recently acquired Maersk Oil assets.
Total also operates the Culzean gas field (formerly Maersk Oil operated) with a 49.99 percent working interest, scheduled to start up in 2019.
-Successful appraisal of A6 block discovery offshore Myanmar
In a separate statement on Monday, Total also announced a successful appraisal of the A6 block Shwe Yee Htun-2 discovery offshore Myanmar, 'completing a major step towards confirming a commercial project'.
'The well was drilled to a final depth of 4,820 meters and encountered 40 meters of net gas pay in a high-quality reservoir,' the press release read.
The Shwe Yee Htun-2 adds to the Shwe Yee Htun-1 (2016) and Pyi Thit-1 (2017) gas discoveries made earlier on the block, and the cumulated resources are evaluated in the range of 2 to 3 trillion cubic feet, according to the statement.
'This new discovery on A6 block is a major step towards unlocking new gas reserves in an area closely located to the fast growing regional markets. Total’s track record of Myanmar’s Yadana gas field exploitation is a key asset to lead these discoveries to commercial development,' Breuillac said.
According to the statement, Total holds a 40 percent interest in A6 block, alongside Woodside Energy Ltd (40 percent, technical joint operator for exploration and appraisal operations) and MPRL E&P Pte Ltd (20 percent, joint operator).
As per joint venture agreements, Total is to take over operatorship in the development phase.
By Hale Turkes
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr