The Jasmine discovery, Central North Sea, UKCS

The Jasmine Field is located in blocks 30/06 and 30/07a on the J Ridge, the southeastern extension of the Forties–Montrose High, which separates the eastern and western basins of the UK Central North Sea. The field was discovered in 2006 and is close to two ConocoPhillips producing fields, Jade and Judy, which serve as useful local analogues. The main West Limb structure is a turtle-back faulted anticline NW of the Joanne salt pillow. The primary reservoir is Triassic in age and consists of stacked fluvial sandstones of the Joanne Member of the Skagerrak Formation. The HPHT exploration wells 30/06-6 and geological sidetrack 30/06-6Z discovered a rich gas condensate column of 2300 ft, some 1100 ft deeper than the mapped independent structural closure of the prospect, and achieved good flow rates on test. To appraise the discovery and assess the potential for significant additional volumes in an adjacent downfaulted terrace, a programme comprising a main well and two sidetrack wells was initiated in 2007. Appraisal well 30/06-7 discovered a 550 ft hydrocarbon column in the Northern Terrace with a hydrocarbon–water contact shallower than that observed in the West Limb, thereby proving structural compartmentalization between the two fault blocks. Good flow rates were achieved from a drill stem test in mechanical sidetrack well 30/06-7Z. Sidetracks 30/06-7Y and 30/06-7X were drilled to confirm the northwestern extension of the West Limb discovery and to test the northern extent of the Northern Terrace accumulation, respectively. This programme has reduced volumetric uncertainty but the trapping mechanism and the ultimate extent of the Jasmine accumulation remain unknown. Comprehensive data acquisition throughout the exploration and appraisal phases, including drill stem testing, core recovery and seismic data reprocessing, has facilitated a detailed reservoir characterization programme. Jasmine represents a significant new high pressure/high temperature resource in the mature Central North Sea and is currently undergoing development planning.