Dana strikes black gold in the North Sea
Dana Petroleum has struck oil at its Blackbird oil field in the central North Sea.
Aberdeen-based Dana said analysis had indicated 75ft of good quality oil bearing reservoir sands.
Blackbird is in the same licence area as Ettrick, an oil field which has been producing up to 22,000 barrels of oil per day since August last year.
Chief executive Tom Cross said: “In the first half of 2010, Dana drilled 10 exploration wells making five oil and gas discoveries. In the second half, Dana’s intensive drilling programme includes a further 10 exploration and appraisal wells, targeting additional oil and gas reserves in proven hydrocarbon basin [and] Blackbird is the first of these wells.”
Samples from the well are now in the process of being fully analysed, after which time the well will be completed and flow tested. It will then be suspended for future use as an oil producer, Dana added.
The FTSE 250 listed company, which earlier this month confirmed it had received a very preliminary approach from a potential bidder, intends to start drilling its two largest 2010 targets later this year. First up will be Anna Marie in the Faroes in July, followed by Cormoran in Mauritania in September.