據海上能源10月25日報道，石油巨頭殼牌公司正準備在英國北海的彭薩科拉（Pensacola）天然氣勘探區進行鉆井作業，計劃于2022年11月中旬開鉆該井。

殼牌是P2252許可區的運營商，該許可區包含Pensacola遠景區，Deltic Energy是其合作伙伴。2021年3月，雙方為彭薩科拉做出了積極的油井投資決定。在此承諾之后，活動的重點轉移到了該井的規劃上。今年4月，該井計劃于2022年第3季度末開始鉆探。

2022年6月，現已成為來寶公司一部分的Maersk Drilling公司被選定為Pensacola井鉆探提供馬士基彈性惡劣環境自升式鉆機。鋪設鉆井平臺的海底作業原定于7月底開始。

Deltic Energy周二透露，殼牌表示，目前正在準備將馬士基彈性鉆機(現在被稱為來寶彈性)轉移到Pensacola，并計劃在11月初進行調試。該井預計將于11月中旬開始鉆探。

Deltic Energy表示，當鉆機在Pensacola現場并開始鉆探時，公司期待提供進一步的更新。

彭薩科拉是位于北海南部布雷（Breagh）氣田西北部的一個澤克斯坦礁（Zechstein Reef）勘探區。據估計，該勘探區的P50勘探區資源總量為3090億立方英尺，地質成功率為55%，這將使彭薩科拉成為“近年來在該天然氣盆地鉆探的最具影響力的勘探目標之一”。

Gusto設計的MSC CJ 50高效自升式鉆機于2008年交付，該鉆機將為殼牌公司在北海鉆井。

郝芬 譯自 海上能源

原文如下：

Shell approaching spud date for North Sea exploration target

Oil major Shell is preparing for drilling operations on the Pensacola gas prospect in the UK North Sea with plans to spud the well in mid-November 2022.

Shell is the operator of Licence P2252, which contains the Pensacola prospect, with Deltic Energy as its partner. The two made a positive well investment decision for Pensacola in March 2021. Following this commitment, the focus of activity moved to the well planning. In April this year, the well was scheduled to begin towards the end of 3Q 2022.

In June 2022, Maersk Drilling, now part of Noble Corp., was selected to provide the Maersk Resilient harsh-environment jack-up rig for the drilling of the Pensacola well. Seabed operations for the placing of the rig were due to start towards the end of July.

Deltic Energy revealed on Tuesday that Shell has indicated that the preparations are now underway to move the Maersk Resilient drilling rig, now known as Noble Resilient, to the Pensacola location and mobilisation is planned to occur in early November. The well is expected to begin drilling in mid-November.

“The company looks forward to providing a further update when the rig is on-site at Pensacola and drilling has started,” Deltic Energy said.

Pensacola is a Zechstein Reef prospect located to the northwest of the Breagh gas field in the Southern North Sea. This prospect is estimated to contain gross P50 prospective resources of 309 BCF, with a 55 per cent geological chance of success, which will rank Pensacola as “one of the highest impact exploration targets to be drilled in the gas basin in recent years.”

The Gusto-engineered MSC CJ 50 high-efficiency jack-up rig that will drill this North Sea well for Shell was delivered in 2008.