HUR.L Regulatory News (HUR)

5 June 2019

Hurricane Energy plc

("Hurricane" or the "Company")

Operational Update:

Lancaster EPS First Oil

Hurricane Energy plc, the UK based oil and gas company focused on hydrocarbon resources in naturally fractured basement reservoirs, is pleased to provide an operational update in relation to the Early Production System development of the Lancaster field.

On 4 June 2019, the Aoka Mizu FPSO's start-up phase completed with a 72-hour production test ("First Oil"). The combined flow from both wells during this test period reached and maintained the planned production rate of 20,000 barrels of oil per day ("bopd"). This marks the contractual provisional acceptance of the Aoka Mizu FPSO by Hurricane.

The Company anticipates a gradual ramp-up in facilities availability over the first six months of production towards long term operating efficiency of 85%. The Company restates existing guidance for facilities availability of three months at 45% and then a further three months at 65%, resulting in average production rates of 9,000 bopd and 13,000 bopd, respectively.

Dr Robert Trice, Chief Executive of Hurricane, commented:

"I am delighted to announce that First Oil has been achieved and that the Lancaster field is now on production, beginning the phased development of Hurricane's considerable resources on the Rona Ridge.

"Lancaster is the UK's first producing fractured basement field and the fact that Hurricane has delivered this industry milestone on time and within budget is an incredible achievement. I would like to thank the staff of Hurricane, our Tier 1 contractors, and our shareholders for having the vision to make Lancaster happen.

"We have successfully achieved our start-up data acquisition objectives and commenced the evaluation of this material. Up to 12 months of stable production will be required in order to provide a clear view of the reservoir and enable us to plan for associated full field development scenarios."

The Company will be holding a Capital Markets Day in July to discuss the results of preliminary analysis following start-up.

Contacts: 

About Hurricane

Hurricane was established to discover, appraise and develop hydrocarbon resources associated with naturally fractured basement reservoirs. The Company's acreage is concentrated on the Rona Ridge, in the West of Shetland region of the UK Continental Shelf.

The Lancaster field (100%) is the UK's first producing basement field. Hurricane is pursuing a phased development of Lancaster, starting with an Early Production System consisting of two wells tied-back to the Aoka Mizu FPSO. This development is initially expected to produce an average of 17,000 bopd (gross production of 20,000 bopd with assumed operating efficiency of 85%, following a period of ramp-up). First oil was achieved in June 2019.

Hurricane's other assets include Lincoln (50%), Warwick (50%), Halifax (100%), Whirlwind (100%), and Strathmore (100%). Together with Lancaster, these assets have total combined 2P reserves and 2C contingent resources of 2.6 billion barrels of oil equivalent (2.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent net to Hurricane).

In September 2018, Spirit Energy farmed-in to 50% of the Lincoln and Warwick assets, committing to a five-phase work programme starting with three wells in 2019 and targeting sanction of full field development in 2021.

Glossary

Inside Information

This announcement contains inside information as stipulated under the market abuse regulation (EU no. 596/2014). Upon the publication of this announcement via regulatory information service this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Competent Person

The technical information in this release has been reviewed by Dr Robert Trice, who is a qualified person for the purposes of the AIM Guidance Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies. Dr Robert Trice, Chief Executive Officer of Hurricane Energy plc, is a geologist and geoscientist with a PhD in geology and has over 30 years' experience in the oil and gas industry.

Standard

Resource estimates contained in this announcement have been prepared in accordance with the Petroleum Resource Management System guidelines endorsed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, World Petroleum Congress, American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers.