OGA Adds 7 Blocks to UKCS 30th Round

The UK’s Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has included seven additional blocks to the 30th Offshore Licensing Round that was announced in late-July.

OGA said that the blocks were not initially on offer pending clarification of boundary lines between the landward and seaward licensing regimes.

The new blocks are: 110/5, 110/10, 110/16, 110/18, 113/24, 113/29, and 113/30.

The new acreage adds to the 813 blocks or part blocks on offer in mature areas of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), covering a total 114,426sq km.

Blocks on offer are located in the southern, central and northern North Sea, the West of Shetland and East Irish Sea, featuring a large inventory of prospects and undeveloped discoveries.

Companies will be able to bid on the area come 21 November 2017. Decisions are expected in Q2 2018.

On 19 July 2017, the OGA made an exploration-focussed dataset openly available including UKCS-wide multi-satellite gravity data, approximately 1000 wells with joined digital well logs, core analysis, formation pressure and geothermal databases, plus the first set of regional geological maps from the OGA’s regional geological mapping project.

Later this month on 22 August, a technology event will be held in Aberdeen focusing on how technology can help unlock these future oil and gas developments in the 30th offshore licensing round.

The event, hosted by the OGA and the Oil and Gas Technology Center (OGTC), will bring operators, prospective investors and technology developers together to cover technology areas that are critical for the economic development of marginal fields, including seismic, well construction, subsea tie-backs, and efficient standalone facility concepts.

Source: www.oedigital.com