Exploration

• Two Drill-Ready Prospects Cortina and Verbier Deep exploration prospects lie within the GBA licences, ~12km from the planned GBA infrastructure
• Material Prospective ResourcesIn aggregate the exploration targets contain estimated mid case gross prospective resources of approximately >70 MMboe

Cortina

The Cortina NE (J64) prospect forms part of the “Cortina cluster” of prospects that are located immediately to the north east of the Buchan oil field. Cortina is mapped at Upper Jurassic, Kimmeridge Clay Formation (J64) Burns Sandstone Member stratigraphic level and is identified by a distinctive amplitude anomaly, similar to the seismic expression of the Tweedsmuir field reservoir. It is thought the reservoir has been eroded from the adjacent Buchan High and deposited in the Cortina prospect area.  The trap is formed by up dip stratigraphic pinch out to the south west toward the Buchan High whilst top, bottom and down dip lateral seal are provided by the Kimmeridge Clay which also provides the hydrocarbon charge. Cortina NE (J64) appears to represent a compensational stacking of three overlying reservoirs that together demonstrate differential compaction on the seismic.  The principal risk associated with Cortina is thought to be top seal, where the potential presence of younger and partly overlying “thief zones“ might result in the leaking of hydrocarbon.

Verbier Deep

The Verbier Deep prospect is mapped as an elongated arcuate feature located underneath the Verbier West oil discovery (well 20/05b-13Z) at Upper Jurassic, Sgiath Formation (J52) stratigraphic level. The top Sgiath sandstone is represented by a seismic amplitude response just above the Pentland Formation (coal) and is seismically analogous to J2 (well 20/05a-10Y) oil discovery.  The trap is formed by dip closure to the east with up dip stratigraphic pinchout to the west where the sand thickness is beyond seismic resolution. The Kimmeridge Clay provides the top, and lateral seal whilst Pentland Formation Coal forms the base of the sandstone. The prospect is charged by the Kimmeridge Clay in the North Buchan Graben.  The principal risk with the prospect is thought to be the up dip lateral seal.