UK West Newton Well Exceeds Expectations
The latest well at the West Newton oil and gas field in east Yorkshire has "exceeded pre-drill expectations," the project's investors said on December 10, indicating that the find could be the largest onshore UK discovery since 1973.
The B-1Z sidetrack well encountered a 62-m hydrocarbon-bearing interval in the primary Kirkham Abbey target formation, London-listed Reabold Resources said. The overall hydrocarbon column in the accumulation is estimated to be at least 118 m, while oil-water contact is yet to be encountered. Initial petrophysical data obtained from the well "correlates positively" with results from the West Newton A-1 conventional discovery well and the A-2 appraisal well, Reabold said.
Reabold has a 56% interest in West Newton, through its 59% stake in the project's operator Rathlin and an additional 16.7% direct interest it acquired from Humber Oil and Gas earlier this year. Its partner Union Jack Oil has a 16.7% position.
"We are delighted to be able to announce another significant discovery at the West Newton field," Reabold co-CEO Stephen Williams said in a statement. "The B-IZ well has indicated substantial areal extent by discovering the Kirkham Abbey, located 2.5 km from the previous A-2 discovery. "
Reabold's other CEO Sachin Oza added that the company was "confident that it will be the largest onshore UK discovery since 1973." That year the Wytch Farm field was discovered in Dorset.
"With more analysis to be done, we believe that these indications augur extremely well for the future of the West Newton project, which has the potential to be a meaningful and crucially local source of hydrocarbons for the Humber region," he said.
Union Jack chairman David Bramhill added that an extensive number of technical studies needed to be carried out to analyse the well data, and this would affect the planning and timing of the testing programme.
"The preliminary results from this well vindicate Union Jack's faith and financial commitment over the past two years to what Union Jack's management has always believed to be an exceptional UK onshore hydrocarbon enterprise," he said.