Ithaca Spuds Hurricane Appraisal Well (UK)

Ithaca Energy Inc. announces that it has commenced drilling of the Hurricane appraisal well in Block 29/10b (Ithaca operated), which lies within the Company’s Greater Stella Area in the UK sector of the Central North Sea.

The well is being drilled using the WilHunter semi-submersible rig (photo). The Company has contracted the services of Applied Drilling Technologies International (“ADTI”) to manage drilling operations under “turnkey” contract arrangements. The well programme is anticipated to take between 75 to 85 days to complete, including the performance of a drill stem test.

The Hurricane discovery well, 29/10-4z, was drilled by Shell in 1995. The well encountered 41 degrees API light oil in Eocene Rogaland sands in the western lobe of the structure.

The appraisal well will be drilled to the base of the Tertiary section in the eastern lobe of the mapped structure and is designed to satisfy three primary objectives:

• Confirm the nature and volume of recoverable hydrocarbons
• Calibrate the hydrocarbon contact with seismic amplitude
• Verify the distribution, quality and connectivity of the reservoir

Upon successful completion of the appraisal well objectives, the wellbore will be suspended for future re-entry and completion as a production well.

The Hurricane discovery lies within 10 kilometres of the “FPF-1” floating production unit that will be installed as part of the Company’s development of the Stella and Harrier fields. The anticipated development of Hurricane would involve the tie-back of wells and subsea infrastructure to the FPF-1, providing a valuable incremental add-on to the ongoing development of the Greater Stella Area.

The Company’s independent reserves evaluator, Sproule International Limited, assigned net Proved and Probable reserves to Hurricane of 2.7 million barrels of oil equivalent (“mmboe”), based on the well in the western lobe of the discovery, in its report dated December 31st, 2011.  The Joint Venture partners in the Ithaca operated Block 29/10b (Hurricane) are Ithaca Energy (UK) Ltd (54.66%), Dyas UK Ltd (25.34%) and Petrofac Energy Developments UK Limited (20%).

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Press Release, July 9, 2012; Image: Awilco Drilling