A new UK Central North Sea discovery has been notched up with preliminary indications of a 53 m (173 ft) hydrocarbon column and a total column which could be up to 242 m (797 ft).

Operator EnQuest reports that an appraisal well targeting the Cairngorm prospect, which spans two UK Central North Sea blocks, 16/2b and 16/3d, has confirmed a basement oil reservoir.

In its preliminary results statement for 2013, EnQuest said the Cairngorm well had recently reached its target, “with indications of hydrocarbons in a relatively good quality basement reservoir.”

Early assessment of results from the Cairngorm appraisal well indicated that a 52.7 m (173 ft) hydrocarbon column has been encountered. “With the results of the previous well and seismic, the overall indications in the structure are now of a total hydrocarbon column of [242 m] 797ft,” EnQuest has said.

EnQuest agreed in August 2013 to farm out 55% equity in two licenses P1214, covering UK block 16/2b and P1892, covering block 16/3d, which contains Cairngorm, which is a previous basement oil discovery. Kuwait Petroleum UK (Kufpec UK) took 25% and Norwegian-based Spike Exploration took 30% equity, and Kufpec and Spike agreed to carry EnQuest's costs on the Cairngorm appraisal well.

EnQuest applied to the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change to drill a Cairngorm appraisal well last year, and spudded the well Dec. 12, 2013, operating with the Ocean Princess semisubmersible which is still on location and operating at the appraisal well.

Offshore