Alba Mineral Resources plc, the diversified mineral exploration and development company, announces that it has been informed by UK Oil & Gas Plc (“UKOG”), the majority owner of Horse Hill Developments Limited (“HHDL”), the operator of Horse Hill licences PEDL 137 and PEDL 246 in which Alba has an 11.765% interest, of the following operational update:
Operations have commenced for the new Horse Hill-2/2z (“HH-2/2z”) Portland horizontal well. The start of physical drilling operations or “spud” is expected following completion of the rig-up process and will be reported in due course.
- Drilling will commence with the HH-2 vertical pilot programme and will be followed directly by the horizontal well section, HH-2z, with a planned trajectory of around 1000m wholly within the Portland reservoir.
- Drilling operations are expected to be completed in a total of around 60 days. The HH-2z horizontal will then be tested using a bespoke downhole electric pump, or ESP.
- Immediately prior to rig arrival, test production from the Kimmeridge oil pool at the Horse Hill-1 oil discovery was temporarily shut-in to permit a safe rig-up process and will be resumed prior to the pilot hole spud. Kimmeridge test production is planned to continue throughout the drilling campaign.
Before the current shut-in, Kimmeridge test production totalled 39,205 barrels (“bbl”) of dry Brent quality crude, with average daily rates of up to 307 bbl of oil per day recorded following the resumption of production on 12 September. Total aggregate Portland and Kimmeridge test production now stands at over 68,773 bbl.