Blocks113/29c & 113/30 Merrow
(Licence P1573)
(Nautical 50% Operator)

Blocks 113/19c and 113/30, Traditional Licence awarded in the 24th Seaward Licensing Round in 2007, are located in the East Irish Sea basin adjacent to Walney Island on the Cumbrian coast. Offshore the basin is essentially gas prospective although oil shows have been encountered in early onshore wells and commercial oil is discovered further south, for instance at the Lennox Field, offshore Southport. Immediately to the west are the Ormonde North and South discoveries in the Triassic Ormskirk Sandstone and further to the west at the 113/27-2 well, the deeper Permian Collyhurst Sandstone has tested gas at productive rates. Onshore the Collyhurst Sandstone is the productive reservoir at the Elswick Field some 35km to the south‑east near Blackpool.

The primary prospect in Block 113/29c, which has resulted from the interpretation of over 700km of reprocessed offshore, transition zone and onshore seismic, comprises a dual prospect target; a large Collyhurst Sandstone structure overlain by a smaller Ormskirk Sandstone structure. Regional geological studies combined with gravity, magnetics and outcrop data indicates that the deeper Collyhurst reservoir lies in an optimal area for the deposition of aeolian sands which would exhibit better reservoir qualities than seen elsewhere in the basin. Gross best estimate prospective resources for Merrow with an aeolian reservoir are estimated at 290 bcf (145 bcf net).

To take advantage of much cheaper onshore drilling costs, a coastal site has been identified from which to drill a deviated well to target the Collyhurst prospect and planning is in progress. An onshore licence is required to drill the well and delays in the Licensing Round mean that drilling has been delayed until 2012. DECC have granted an extension of Licence P1475 to enable the well to be drilled. For well design reasons, an onshore well does not allow the testing of the shallower Merrow Ormskirk structure at an optimum location, but subject to its findings there are a number of other Ormskirk leads on the blocks to be reviewed, such as Sea Serpent, a prospect in Block 113/30.