Page 36: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Apr/May 2014)

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Fig1: World basement reservoir examples

Geology & Geophysics

Fractured basement reservoirs: a new play for the UK

Are the UK’s fractured he potential of fractured basement res- Basement potential in the UK ervoirs is often overlooked by explor- To date, basement on the UK Continental basement reservoirs

T ers, yet there are numerous examples Shelf (UKCS) has largely been underexplored, ripe for exploitation? of basement ? elds having been discovered and despite the fact that numerous indications of produced over the decades from around the hydrocarbons have been reported from base-

Hurricane Energy’s world (See Fig.1). ment in wells dating back to the 1970s. As pro-

Robert Trice explains

Furthermore, the volumes of hydrocarbons duction from the UKCS continues to decline, why he believes they are.

found within fractured basement can be signi? - and with the exploration potential of the more cant and production rates can be high. In some traditional plays becoming increasingly mature, countries, for example Vietnam and Yemen, the the potential from the overlooked and under- contribution from fractured basement reservoirs rated basement play therefore warrants further has had a transformational effect on the coun- exploration. try’s reserve creaming curve. Over the past eight years Hurricane Energy

Fig2: Prospectivity associated with Pilot’s proven fractured basement play along the Rona

Ridge, West of Shetland, including the Clair ? eld and Hurricane Energy’s

Lancaster and Whirlwind discoveries.

All images from Hurricane Energy plc.

April 2014 | OE oedigital.com 38 000_OE0414_G&G-1_trice.indd 38 3/23/14 12:05 AM