West Franklin

	A gas and condensate discovery has recently been made to the West of the Franklin Field, in Block 29/5b (P.362) of the North Sea. The discovery was made in the Upper Jurassic Fulmar sandstones below a depth of 5,750m (vertical depth). This discovery is thought to be the deepest commercial hydrocarbon accumulation in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

The exploration well, 29/5b-F7z, was spudded in September 2002 to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of the West Franklin prospect. The well was drilled from the Franklin wellhead platform using the Santa Fe Magellan drilling rig. It was deviated 1.8km West South West from the platform location to a measured depth of 6,439m.

On test, the well flowed at a maximum rate of approximately one million standard cubic metres of gas per day, with 2,000 barrels/day condensate. Subject to technical suitability and all necessary approvals, it is planned to convert it into a production well and hook it up to the Franklin wellhead platform facilities

This success confirms the strategy of TOTAL E&P UK and its partners to apply selective criteria to exploration prospects in this area of the UKCS. In particular to use their expertise to search for new reserves in the technically and financially challenging HP/HT environment of the Central North Sea.