IGas, a producer of onshore hydrocarbons in the UK, has secured a rig to drill the Ellesmere Port exploration well which is expected to spud in late 2014.
A comprehensive community engagement programme has commenced.
The Ellesmere Port well, which is a straight vertical exploration well, will be the third such well in a sequence designed to give IGas a suite of results from three wells distributed across its licenced areas in the North West. The second of these wells drilled at Barton Moss and completed in Q1, 2014, is currently being evaluated. The core analysis has commenced and full results will be available after the 14th Licence round applications have been submitted.
The exploratory work undertaken to date together with offset well data has given the Company sufficient information to be able to design an appropriate hydraulic fracture program for wells in the area. This will prove invaluable for future planning applications for potential shale wells and the ability to demonstrate the commerciality of gas extraction from these deep formations.
Press Release, August 22, 2014; Image: IGas