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The Bentley Field, Block 9/3b
Location
XER has a 100% working interest in Block 9/3b situated in the North Sea. The block was offered in the United Kingdom’s 21st Seaward Licensing Round,
administered by the BERR. The 9/3b Licence, offered as part of the UK government’s “Promote Licence” initiative, was awarded to XER with effect from October 1, 2003.
The location of Block 9/3b is within the northern North Sea, approximately 160km east of the Shetland Isles on the western edge of the Viking Graben.
This block covers slightly more than 200 km2. The nearest analogous commercial production of heavy oil is in Block 13/22a (the Captain Field) approximately
250 km away. Other nearby heavy oil discoveries yet to be developed are the Bressay field immediately north of Block 9/3b and the Mariner field in Block 9/11, approximately 35 km
southwest of Block 9/3b.
Location of Bentley, Block 9/3b on the UKCS
Accumulations, Prospects and Leads
Based on the 2D data available at the time of the Resource Report, two (2) structures within Block 9/3b have established accumulations of heavy oil,
namely the 9/3-1 and 9/3-4 areas of Block 9/3b, which accumulations the Company has provisionally named the Bentley field.
Based on
the same
2D analysis, Block 9/3b contains one (1) identified prospect and one (1) identified lead (Prospect A and Lead B). The two (2) heavy oil accumulations
are penetrated by 3 of the 4 wells on Block 9/3b, being wells 9/3-1, 9/3-2A and 9/3-4. Management of the Company believes that, based on a preliminary
3D analysis, the 9/3 and 9/3-4 accumulations may be linked and possibly extend as a single structure to Prospect A.
2D analysis of Block 9/3b - 2003
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3D analysis of Block 9/3b - 2007
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Geological History
The oil in Block 9/3b is hosted within the Dornoch formation of late Palaeocene (Tertiary) age and lies along the eastern margin of the Palaeocene Shelf.
The Dornoch formation within Block 9/3b comprises coarse clastics forming a prograding delta sequence across the eastern boundary of the East Shetland
Platform. The source rock is the Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay formation found within the Viking Graben to the east of Block 9/3b. It appears that oil
migration from the source in the Kimmeridge Clay into the reservoirs of Block 9/3b may have taken place during the
Eocene/Oligocene via the major graben bounding fault system.
The above image is a graphical, exploded regional cross section of the geological formation provided for illustrative purposes only and is not representative
of the physical properties of Block 9/3b nor of any resources attributable to Block 9/3b.
Extended Well Test
Assuming a successful outcome from the planned appraisal well, and subject to approval of the BERR, Xcite plans to drill two horizontal wells from a heavy-duty
cantilever jackup rig. Fluid processing and water separation would be handled onboard through the use of a purpose-built production module. Produced heavy oil
would be transferred to and stored on a moored tanker for subsequent offloading to a shuttle tanker, where the oil is likely to be aggregated into larger cargoes
for onward transportation to oil refineries such as Humberside, Mongstadt and Rotterdam, which specialise in refining heavy oil.
Early Production System
Following the EWT phase, and subject to approval of the BERR, the Company intends to begin the EPS, in which four further horizontal production wells and two
vertical water injection wells would be drilled from the jackup rig. The EPS would continue field production using a similar process as the EWT for a further
eighteen months, providing further field data to optimise a full-field development plan.
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