Exploration in the UK North Sea: The State of Play

Richard A. Sears, Bruce K. Levell

While exploration activity has declined from the peak years of 1990-91, the UK North Sea remains an active offshore exploration arena where the combination of rich, mature source rocks, high quality reservoirs, a complex structural history and ever improving seismic technology continues to yield significant discoveries.

Interpretations based on regional seismic data and sparse well control have, with the use of modern 3D seismic data, given way to a detailed understanding of the structural history and stratigraphic framework of the North Sea. 3D data, calibrated by the drilling results of 30 years of exploration activity, continue to revise prospect level interpretations, explain anomalous dry holes and suggest previously unrecognized prospects in what were thought to be mature plays and areas.

Recent technological improvements combined with the commercial imperative of ageing oil and gas infrastructure in the North Sea adds significant near field potential to the exploration prospect inventory. Distinct from infill and appraisal drilling, exploration dear field potential focuses on those prospects within present or future reach of existing facilities, which because of the severity of the identified geologic risks are unlikely to be drilled without exploration involvement.

With an improved set of geologic and geophysical tools at their disposal, explorers today can continue to develop new and exciting exploration prospects which will be technically challenging, as well as commercially successful.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91020©1995 AAPG Annual Convention, Houston, Texas, May 5-8, 1995