Shell Discovers Higher Porosity and Permeability in North Sea Gas Field

UK-headquartered energy giant Shell has revealed better porosity and permeability in its natural gas discovery in the North Sea, located on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). This discovery has led to an increase in recoverable gas volumes for the project, as announced by Shell’s partner, Deltic Energy.

Shell decided to drill the Selene exploration well in the P2437 license and selected the Valaris 123 jack-up rig for a two-well drilling campaign after conducting geotechnical site investigation works. The drilling operations at the exploration well 48/8b-3 in the Southern North Sea revealed a significant gas presence in the 160-meter-thick section of Leman Sandstone.

Following the drilling of the well in 2024, updated post-well structural maps of the Selene prospect indicated a maximum gas column of about 100 meters. The joint venture partners voted to move into the second term of the license and committed to various workflows to support a field development plan and a final investment decision scheduled for early 2027.

Shell provided porosity and permeability measurements on core plugs taken from drill core samples over the Leman B-Sand, showing better porosity than previously assumed. Deltic incorporated this data into its subsurface model, resulting in improved recovery factors, flow rates, production periods, and estimates of gas recovered over a 20-year period.

Andrew Nunn, CEO of Deltic, stated, “The integration of core data into the analysis has led to a significant refinement in our understanding of the Selene asset. This updated understanding will be critical as we move forward into project scoping and design workflows.”

The gas samples collected from the well confirmed the presence of dry, methane-dominated natural gas with minimal contaminants. Deltic’s base case development plan includes a two-well development tied back to existing infrastructure via a subsea pipeline.

Nunn emphasized the importance of maximizing benefits from UK’s domestic resources and the need to focus on ‘good barrels’ in the energy mix. Deltic’s estimates now show a 33% increase in gross 2C contingent resources at Selene.

As the JV works towards a final investment decision in 2027, Deltic continues to explore funding options to maintain its interest in the Selene project. The company believes in maximizing the benefits of local resources to reduce dependence on imported oil and gas.