Portland Oil Production Resumes at Horse Hill

RNS Number : 2877Q

UK Oil & Gas PLC

18 February 2019

 

UK Oil & Gas PLC

("UKOG" or the "Company")

Portland Oil Production Resumes at Horse Hill Oil Field

UK Oil & Gas PLC (London AIM: UKOG), is pleased to announce that its subsidiary company, Horse Hill Developments Ltd has re-established Portland oil production from the Horse Hill-1 ("HH-1") well in which the Company has a 50.635% majority interest. The resumption of continuous Portland dry oil flow (i.e. oil with zero water content), at a stable daily rate of between 208 to 218 barrels per day ("bopd"), forms a key part of the schedule of works required to finalise the Portland field development plan and to the targeted establishment of permanent long-term Portland production, planned by end 2019.

Further details of extended well test ("EWT") results to date are summarised below.

Horse Hill 2018-19 EWT Oil Production Milestones:

·     Over 30,200 barrels ("bbl") aggregate Kimmeridge and Portland oil production to date.

·    Over 25,000 bbl total Kimmeridge oil production.

·     Over 5,100 bbl total Portland production to date, flow continues.

·     142 tankers of crude successfully exported primarily to Perenco's Hamble oil terminal. The KL's 40° API Brent quality crude containing no produced water, continues to be sold at prevailing Brent crude oil prices, less a small deduction for handling and marketing.

Portland Test Production and Future Plans

For prudent reservoir management purposes, the average test production rate from the 114 ft vertical perforated Portland section has been maintained below the previously reported 362 bopd calculated optimised sustainable rate. HH-1 test production is planned to continue until the completion of the new HH-2 Portland horizontal well, scheduled to start in spring 2019, and for which planning and environmental permits are in place. Portland test production will then be switched over to HH-2.

As detailed in UKOG's 23 January 2019 Strategic Review, the HH-2 Portland flow rate target of 720-1,080 bopd from the HH-2 horizontal well, which has been externally verified as a realistic and viable expectation by Xodus Group Ltd ("Xodus"), is designed to position Horse Hill as the Weald Basin's leading oil producing field by year end. Subsequent planned horizontal wells in 2020 are designed to further boost gross Portland production and to position UKOG as one of the current top three oil producing companies in the UK onshore sector.

Kimmeridge Future Test Production Plans

In tandem with Portland operations, the Kimmeridge oil pool was shut-in to conduct a further long-term pressure build up test.  Pressure gauges, set within the Kimmeridge reservoir, will monitor the Kimmeridge reservoir whilst the Portland is flowed.

Resumption of continuous Kimmeridge test production is now planned to follow directly after the drilling of HH-2. Initially via a short flow test period from HH-1, then by further long term production testing of the new HH-1z Kimmeridge sidetrack, for which planning and environmental consent are in place. As the HH-1z Kimmeridge horizontal has similar flow rate targets as the Portland, there is significant potential to increase aggregate production towards the 3,500 bopd envisaged maximum detailed in the recent planning application.

Stephen Sanderson, UKOG's Chief Executive, commented:

" After a 6-month shut in period, the continued good flow performance from the Portland further reinforces the viability of Xodus' and the Company's 720-1,080 bopd horizontal well production targets. We remain on course to commence the first two horizontals in Spring, with long term production testing of both wells planned to follow directly afterwards. The flow test results to date, combined with the prospect of further near term drilling, place Horse Hill in a strong position to deliver positive "free" cash flow to UKOG in the near and foreseeable future."

Qualified Person's Statement

Rob Wallace, UKOG's principal technical advisor, who has over 40 years of relevant experience in the oil industry, has approved the information contained in this announcement. Mr Wallace is a Chartered Scientist, Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society of London, an active member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, a member of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain and a member of the South African Geophysical Society.

For further information, please contact:

UKOG

Stephen Sanderson / Kiran Morzaria                                                      Tel: [phone]

WH Ireland (Nominated Adviser and Broker)

James Joyce / James Sinclair-Ford                                                           Tel: [phone]

Cenkos Securities PLC (Joint Broker)

Joe Nally / Neil McDonald                                                                        Tel: [phone]

Novum Securities (Joint Broker)                                                                                                              

John Bellis                                                                                                    Tel: [phone]

Public Relations

Brian Alexander / David Bick                                                                    Tel: [phone]

Glossary

°API	a measure of the density of crude oil, as defined by the American Petroleum Institute
oil field	an accumulation, pool or group of pools of oil in the subsurface that produces oil to surface.
extended well test (EWT) or production test	a well test, as per the permission granted by the Oil and Gas Authority, with an aggregate flow period duration over all zones of greater than 96 hours and generally up to 90 days maximum flowing time per productive horizon. The objective being to establish whether a discovery is commercially viable and the best methods of future production and recovery
flow test	a flow test or well test involves testing a well by flowing hydrocarbons to surface, typically through a test separator. Key measured parameters are oil and gas flow rates, downhole pressure and surface pressure. The overall objective is to identify the well's capacity to produce hydrocarbons at a commercial flow rate.
horizontal well	a well that during drilling is steered so as to follow and remain within a particular geological stratum or reservoir unit having a trajectory that runs  approximately parallel to the top and or base of the target horizon
positive "free" cash flow	Revenues that have paid back the full capital cost of the activity, in this case the cost of the well. If the prognosed target rates are met, and at current oil prices, the planned horizontal wells are expected to pay-back capital costs in under 6 months.
sidetrack	re-entry of a well from the well's surface location with drilling equipment for deviating from the existing well bore to achieve production or well data from an alternative zone or bottom hole location

UKOG Licence Interests

The Company has interests in the following UK licences:

Asset	Licence	UKOG's Interest	Licence Holder	Operator	Area (km2)	Status
Avington 1	PEDL070	5%	UKOG (GB) Limited	IGas Energy Plc	18.3	Field currently temporarily shut in
Broadford Bridge 3	PEDL234	100%	UKOG (234) Ltd 4	UKOG (234) Ltd 4	300.0	BB-1 & 1z oil discovery, planning application approved
Holmwood 3	PEDL143	40%	UKOG	Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc	91.8	Seeking alternate sites to drill Holmwood and other Kimmeridge prospects
Horndean 1	PL211	10%	UKOG (GB) Limited	IGas Energy Plc	27.3	Field in stable production
Horse Hill 5	PEDL137	50.635%	Horse Hill Developments Ltd ⁶	Horse Hill Developments Ltd ⁶	99.3	Production tests ongoing, two further appraisal wells scheduled for 2019
Horse Hill 5	PEDL246	50.635%	Horse Hill Developments Ltd⁶	Horse Hill Developments Ltd ⁶	43.6	As above
Isle of Wight (Onshore) 2, 3	PEDL331	95%	UKOG	UKOG	200.0	Preparing planning submission for Arreton-3 oil appraisal well and Arreton South exploration well
Markwells Wood	PEDL126	100%	UKOG (GB) Limited	UKOG (GB) Limited	11.2	MW-1 P&A

Notes:

1.  Oil field currently in stable production.

2.  Oil discovery pending development and/or appraisal drilling.

3.  Exploration asset with drillable prospects and leads.

4.  Contains the Broadford Bridge-1 /1z Kimmeridge oil discovery, the eastern extension of the Godley Bridge Portland gas discovery plus further undrilled Kimmeridge exploration prospects.

5.  Oil field with three productive and commercially viable zones, EWT ongoing, two further wells HH-1z and HH-2 scheduled in Q2 2019, development underway subject to grant of planning consent, expected in Q3 2019.

6.  UKOG has a direct 77.9% interest in HHDL, which has a 65% interest in PEDL137 and PEDL246.

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014

 

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