Petrogas North Sea Completes Successful Drilling Program in UK North Sea

Petrogas North Sea, a subsidiary of Oman-based Petrogas E&P, has successfully concluded its drilling program in the UK sector of the North Sea, resulting in a significant gas discovery. The drilling operations were carried out using a 16-year-old jack-up rig owned by Noble Corporation, a renowned U.S.-based offshore drilling company.

The UK drilling campaign, which comprised two wells, was completed safely on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) utilizing Noble Corporation’s Noble Resilient jack-up rig. The first well, 47/3f-16, targeted the Baker Rotliegends gas prospect and encountered a substantial gas column in a high-quality reservoir before being plugged and abandoned.

The rig then proceeded to drill the Abbey appraisal well, 47/3i-16(z), which commenced on November 13, 2024, and concluded on March 16, 2025. The drilling involved a pilot hole to the planned total depth in the Lower Leman Sandstone, followed by a sidetrack with a 1,184-meter horizontal section in the Lower Leman Sandstone.

Nick Dancer, COO of Petrogas E&P, expressed his satisfaction with the drilling program’s success, stating, “Petrogas E&P delivers again. Whilst the UK North Sea is quieter these days, I’m pleased that we’ve finished our two well campaign, resulting in a great discovery (Baker) and our first long horizontal multi-frac well on the Abbey field, which was successfully tested. Thank you to the Petrogas team and our contractors for delivering the wells safely.”

Following successful well tests and achieving gas rates above expectations, Petrogas is currently analyzing the results to optimize the development plan for the Baker and Abbey fields. The company acquired a 70% stake in Baker and 85% in Abbey from Cornerstone Resources through a farm-out deal in 2022, subsequently becoming the sole owner of both fields.

Petrogas secured the services of the Noble Resilient jack-up rig, built in 2009, in November 2023 for a 120-day drilling assignment in the UK North Sea. The contract included four one-well extension options, with the rig capable of drilling depths up to 30,000 feet and operating in water depths of up to 350 feet.

Another Noble rig, Noble Resolute, is currently operating for Petrogas’ subsidiary in the Netherlands, with the contract expected to conclude in May 2025 unless a 40-day extension option is exercised. Petrogas recently announced a successful gas extraction milestone in the North Sea with the Noble Resolute rig.

In addition to its operations in the North Sea, Noble Corporation has secured various drilling contracts, including a recent partnership with Shell off the coast of Brunei in Southeast Asia.