Cluff De-Risks UK North Sea Blocks

UK independent Cluff Natural Resources (CNR) says it has de-risked P2248 ahead of a planned farm-out of the Southern North Sea licence.

Further analysis of seismic data had potentially unlocked a new regional Bunter Sandstone play with significant gas resource potential at low cost, the company said May 31.

It said the farm-out process for P2248 and P2252, 100%-owned by CNR, is on-going with an “encouraging level” of interest; it expects to close the data-room during the summer. Prospects to the south of CNR’s licences include a deep Carboniferous exploration well which the UK major BP – with extensive geological knowledge of the region – is now drilling. The results of this work are “eagerly anticipated” according to CNR CEO Algy Cluff.

CNR has previously published Bunter Sandstone prospects as having in excess of 800bn ft³ resources, with a Cadence Carboniferous prospect as holding 929bn ft³; both are on P2248.

In the past two years CNR has refocused its business strategy on UK Southern North Sea conventional gas prospects, especially since its plans to develop an unconventional underground coal gasification project in Scotland's nearshore were blocked last year.

Mark Smedley