Venture reports first gas from Chiswick field

The Aberdeen based independent oil and gas production company, Venture Production plc has successfully completed and tested the first production well in the new Chiswick gas field in the UK southern North Sea.

Following a successful multiple fracture well stimulation, the Chiswick Alpha well tested at rates approaching 50 million cubic feet per day (’MMcfpd’) on a restricted 72/64 inch choke setting.

The reservoir quality and well production performance are in line with expectations and the well is expected to reach gross production rates of between 55 and 60 MMcfpd following completion of the ongoing clean-up programme through the platform facilities.

This equates to additional production net to Venture of between 9,000 and 10,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (’boepd’), including associated gas condensate production.

It is anticipated that the field will commence commercial production once the current Markham field annual shut-down is completed around the end of September.

The new field is already tied back to the Venture-operated Markham J6A platform.

The Chiswick Alpha well (49/4a-C1y) (Venture operated - 95%) was drilled from the Noble Kolskya jack-up rig during the first half of 2007. During August a programme of five hydraulic fracture procedures was successfully carried out to maximise deliverability of gas from the field and the Noble Kolskya rig is now moving back to complete the drilling of the second development well, Chiswick Gamma.