" I would doubt very much there being a suitable window of opportunity (30+ days for just 1 well) during the first 2 years of SL activity for any rig to sail off to Argos to drill a wildcat exploration well despite the possibility of shared mob costs"
Actually windows do occur - there are times when you can't drill as you're installing various bits of kit - it also makes sense for SL to know as soon as possible that there is more oil in the area - it changes everything from sizing kit to financing - if you know you're likely to have a customer nearby it really helps.
IIRC Forties in the N Sea made more money from tariffs from other fields than from the production from the field itself - they were first and held the cards.
"Moody reportedly said that that Rhea is too far away from Sea Lion to be a satellite tie-in and requires a standalone development."
Rhea is approx 25 kms from SL - that's well withing the range for current technology for a tieback. iIRC someone did one over 100 kms in the GoM 8+ years ago. The problem is no-one knows that is in any for the many Argos prospects.
"They said that they are looking at reproducing from the Kimmeridge layer now that production permit has been granted. From memory during testing it produced 400 BOPD but we don't know what was possible if the taps were opened. "
they haven't said anything about the Kimm in years now - and they never bothered to deepen HH2 to even tag it. The consensus is that they have produced all the oil from the fractures and very little from the actual rocks which don't flow (or flowed very badly)
RE: Morning chaps from a somewhat overcast Angeles City3 May 2022 10:48
"Angus and the 2 interested parties should know each other quite well after almost 4 months."
Its pretty clear no-one will bid until they know the hedge can be met - and based on verifiable flow rates over some time - not the famous "instantaneous rates" that led us all up the garden path at Brockham last time