Page 34: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jul/Aug 2014)

33 35

It has a three-year contract, starting this has probably altered the perception that fan system, and an estimated 3 billion bbl year, to use Atwood Oceanic’s drillship Ireland is all about gas,” O’Reilly says.

(P50) of oil in place, according to John

Atwood Achiever, being completed in

O’Sullivan, Providence’s technical director.

Barryroe

Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Lying in about 2.5km water depth,

Marine Engineering, with plans to drill about 220km offshore, Drombeg has a A milestone will be reached when a offshore Ireland in 2016-2017. mapped aerial extent of about 270sq km, development concept and funding is making the Drombeg fan larger than the announced for Barryroe, paving the way

Dunquin data key giant North Sea Forties ? eld. O’Sullivan for commercial oil production.

Geology & Geophysics

Despite Dunquin North’s lack of com- says it could contain a gassy oil, with

Discovered in the 1970s by Marathon,

Barryroe wasn’t pursued due to high merciality, Providence, which has a perhaps 900MMbbl recoverable and state participation (50% pre-1992) and 16% stake in Dunquin, says it provided additional potential in vertically stacked an unfavorable tax regime. The oil valuable data. “It (Dunquin North) was Jurassic and Paleocene stratigraphic was also waxy, which at the time had the ? rst well in an area the size of the intervals. technical and economic implications,

North Sea, so it is hugely important,” There is also further prospectively at both of which are no longer a problem,

O’Reilly says. “It wasn’t commercial, but Dunquin, speci? cally Dunquin South,

O’Reilly says. it provides a huge data point on this vast O’Reilly says, given the thick, over-pres- and unexplored deepwater basin.” sured, high-porosity, carbonate reservoir Providence is currently planning a

The well data have increased system proven in the Dunquin North well. phased development, with early produc-

Providence’s con? dence in its Drombeg tion, of about 30,000bbl/d, on the eastern

Past problems resolved prospect (80% equity), which lies 60km part of the ? eld where most data is avail-

With such potential, why have no signi? - able, using a small wellhead platform southwest of Dunquin. Drombeg is a cant ? nds been made to date? O’Reilly and ? oating storage and of? oading vessel. lower Cretaceous stratigraphic prospect, says the industry previously foundered The development would then move to interpreted to be a deepwater turbidite due to lack of infrastructure and acces- the west of the ? eld, and additional infra-

Key discoveries & ? elds sible market. structure, with a nominal name plate of (1970 – 2013)

Kinsale, brought online in the 1978, 100,000bbl/d, installed, subject to regula- saw some infrastructure installed, on and tory approvals. The ? rst phase develop-

Discoveries

Gas/gas DOOISH offshore, and there is now a market for the ment could make use of the Seven Head condensate

CORRIB gas in Ireland, as well as infrastructure manifold, which sits over Barryroe, and

Oil

GAS FIELD to export it, and to land and process oil. would be able to transport associated gas

Corrib will also bring infrastructure oppor- via the Kinsale infrastructure (two plat- tunities in the North Porcupine basin. forms with a pipeline to shore).

CONNEMARA

BANDON

Mackay says the early explorers’ lack For Providence it has been a long, 30

BALLYCOTTON

SPANISH

GAS FIELD of success was because they were using a year journey. Over 25 years, it has spent

POINT

Brent province geological model and the $750 million with partners exploring the

BURREN HELVICK 48/18-1 constraints of 2D seismic, and drilling Irish offshore. Over the last ? ve years it

HOOK HEAD rigs were unable to drill in more than has spent another $500 million.

OLD HEAD 500m water depths. The spending will continue. Work is

There was also an assumption that ongoing to assess the potential to develop

KINSALE

GAS FIELD the region was gas prone, making it less Spanish Point, a gas and condensate ? nd

SCHULL

SEVEN HEADS attractive, a view which the Barryroe in the northern Porcupine basin. Cairn

GAS FIELD discovery, successfully appraised by (operator with 32% equity) is planning to

BARRYROE

Providence in 2012, helped start to drill an appraisal well on Spanish Point

Source: Department of Communications, Energy and change. “Barryroe is important because it this year, based on new 3D data, using

Natural Resources, Republic of Ireland.

the Blackford Dolphin semisubmersible, which recently underwent a major reno-

Number of offshore exploration licenses and licensing vation at Belfast’s Harland & Wolff ship- options at end December each year (1970 - March 2014) yard. “It will be the ? rst big well west of

Ireland in many years,” O’Reilly says.

Exploration licenses 40

Licensing Options 1998-2013

End of year information for licensing options

A critical stage prior to 1998 is in o‚site archive and not 30

Going to press, the Irish Government readily accessible launched the 2015 Atlantic Margin Oil and Gas Licensing Round, which closes 20

September 2015. It also increased the tax on production pro? ts to a maximum 55%

Authorizations 10

Number of EL & LO issued prior (up from 40% now), and said future tax (at end December each year) to 1976 were rates would be on a ? eld by ? eld basis. petroleum leases 0

Producers will still pay 25% corpora- 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2008 2010 2012 2014 2004 2006 tion tax. “We are at a critical stage, it’ll be interesting to see what happens,” says

Year

Source: Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Republic of Ireland.

Cahill.

July 2014 | OE oedigital.com 36 034_OE0714_G&G1.indd 36 6/20/14 2:46 PM