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(Alliance News) - Alba Mineral Resources PLC and UK Oil & Gas PLC on Tuesday said Horse Hill-2z Portland horizontal drilling campaign, located in the Weald Basin of Surrey, UK, was completed.
Alba holds about 12% stake in licences PEDL 137 and PEDL 246, which are operated by Horse Hill Developments Ltd, a subsidiary of UK Oil & Gas, which holds nearly 86% interest in the Horse Hill oil field.
UK Oil & Gas said a total of 2,500 feet of horizontal trajectory was drilled wholly within the Portland reservoir's "most" oil productive zone, with the campaign's key technical objectives now all delivered.
The company said HH-2z's high exposure to the Portland reservoir's "most" oil productive zone enables the well to deliver "significantly greater" flow rates than those seen in the HH-1 vertical well.
Following completion of a comprehensive electric logging programme, UK Oil & Gas said HH-2z is now being prepared for an extensive extended well test programme, expected to commence in the "coming weeks". The test is planned over a minimum 90-day flow period, following which HH-2z and HH-1 will be retained and converted into long-term oil production wells.
Meanwhile, oil production from the HH-1 test has continued throughout HH-2/2z drilling and will also continue in parallel with the HH-2z extended well test, UK Oil & Gas said. Total HH-1 test production now stands at over 77,200 barrels.
"We are delighted to have safely and successfully delivered a significant 2,500 ft of horizontal section within the Portland reservoir's sweet-spot, the prime 35 feet zone containing the reservoir's most oil productive sandstones," said UK Oil & Gas Chief Executive Stephen Sanderson.
He added: "We now look forward to the imminent flow test campaign, a key step towards delivering significant long-term production at Horse Hill."
UK Oil & Gas shares were trading 0.3% higher in London on Tuesday at 1.08 pence each, while Alba shares were down 4.8% at 0.18p each.
By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com
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