Apache Corp., Houston, reported making an oil discovery on Block 9/18a Area-W in the UK North Sea. The Garten discovery well lies 6 km south of the Beryl Alpha platform.
The Garten well targeted a downthrown structural closure and encountered more than 700 ft of net oil pay in stacked, high-quality Jurassic-aged sandstone reservoirs. Recoverable resource is expected to exceed 10 million bbl of light oil, which is at the high end of predrill estimates, Apache said. Apache has a 100% working interest in the Garten block.
This latest discovery is the company’s fourth commercial find in the Beryl area in the past 3 years, said John J. Christmann IV, Apache’s chief executive officer and president. These discoveries have spanned several play types ranging from the Tertiary to the Triassic. “Apache’s strategy to focus on exploration near operated facilities is set to deliver significant production without the long cycle time of large scale projects,” Christmann said.
The Garten discovery well will be suspended as a future producer and tied back to the Beryl Alpha platform. Apache is working closely with the Oil and Gas Authority to obtain the regulatory approvals to initiate production, which is anticipated in first-quarter 2019.