Pensacola Resource Estimate Significant Increase

Deltic Energy PLC

12 July 2023

 

12 July 2023

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 which forms part of domestic UK law pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("UK MAR"). With the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Deltic Energy Plc ("Deltic" or "the Company")

Significant increase in Pensacola Resource Estimate

Deltic Energy Plc today announces a significant increase in its estimate of oil and gas resources for the Pensacola discovery on Licence P2252 (Deltic WI: 30%). This increase, based on Deltic's post well analysis, is nearly double initial expectations.

Highlights

·    Following post well analysis, Deltic now estimates the Pensacola structure to contain gross P50 initially in place volumes of gas and oil of 342 million barrels of oil equivalent.

·    This analysis indicates Pensacola may contain almost double the volume of recoverable gas and oil than originally thought, with Deltic now estimating total gross P50 Estimated Ultimate Recovery ('EUR') of c.99mmboe, up from 50mmboe immediately after well completion.

·    Significantly, Deltic now estimates Pensacola contains material volumes of oil, representing c. 30% of the combined recoverable hydrocarbons.

·    Work is progressing with partners to develop the appraisal and development programme for Pensacola with an appraisal well continued to be targeted for late 2024.

·    Deltic is pursuing monetisation options for the discovery in line with its strategy.

Graham Swindells, Chief Executive of Deltic Energy, commented:    

"The Pensacola oil and gas discovery is transformational for Deltic. Well data indicates that Pensacola contains close to double our original estimate, representing one of the most significant discoveries in the North Sea in many years."

"This is an outstanding result for Deltic. Our success to date reinforces the quality of our technical team and the Deltic model of taking licences from award through to successful drilling."

"We look forward to working with our JV partners to continue moving this exciting asset through the appraisal phase and onward towards development. With the significant additions to our resource base, we will also continue to pursue monetisation options in line with our stated strategy."

Volumetric Update - Oil and Gas Initially in Place   

Deltic has updated its volumetric assessment of the Pensacola discovery based on data collected from the 41/05a-2 well and the results of lab testing.  This represents a significant increase in estimated initially in-place gas and oil volumes, as set out below:

PENSACOLA DISCOVERY - Oil and Gas Initially in Place (gross, Deltic WI: 30%)
Hydrocarbon Type	Units	P90	P50	P10
Gas	BCF	312	459	652
Oil	MMBO	87	243	485
Associated Gas*	BCF	40	136	340
COMBINED TOTAL	MMBOE**	148	342	650

*Associated gas is gas dissolved within the oil deposit

** Gas is converted at 5.98 BCF to 1 MMBOE

Licence P2252 which contains the Pensacola discovery is operated by Shell

While the expected presence of oil in the south of the prospect represents highly material upside, the discovered gas volumes in the northern part of the Pensacola prospect are better constrained and therefore the gas is still likely to be the initial focus of near-term appraisal and development activity.

Preliminary Development Plan and Recoverable Oil and Gas Volumes

Based on preliminary reservoir engineering work completed by Deltic, a range of potential development scenarios have been assessed to allow an estimation of recoverable volumes which could be produced from the Pensacola discovery. In all of these scenarios it has been assumed that hydrocarbons will be exported via a new offshore installation and pipeline to Teesside.  Based on these scenarios Deltic estimates the range of potentially recoverable oil and gas associated with the Pensacola discovery as follows:

PENSACOLA DISCOVERY - EUR (gross, Deltic WI:  30%)
Hydrocarbon Type	Units	P90	P50	P10
Gas	BCF	198	320	499
Oil	MMBO	11	30	67
Associated gas	BCF	24	95	272
COMBINED TOTAL	MMBOE*	48	99	196

* Gas is converted at 5.98 BCF to 1 MMBOE

Licence P2252 which contains the Pensacola discovery is operated by Shell

Post Well Analysis

Interpretation work by the JV team following the post-well analytical programme has reinforced the conclusion that thicker and better quality Hauptdolomite reservoir is present across the crest of the Pensacola Reef, which will be targeted in future appraisal and development drilling.

The Hauptdolomite cores collected at the well location have an average porosity of 18.8% with a maximum permeability of 40mD (average of 6mD), better than the reservoir quality initially estimated from wireline logs.  Dynamic reservoir modelling by Deltic indicates that the reservoir quality encountered at the well location would support commercial flow rates from horizontal wells, without requiring any improvement in reservoir quality up-dip.

Next Steps

Deltic continues to work closely with the Licence Operator and our JV partners to develop the appraisal programme for the Pensacola discovery.  Subject to JV and other regulatory approvals, the drilling of an appraisal well on Pensacola is continued to be targeted for late 2024. In parallel, the JV will undertake various studies to define optimal development plans for the Pensacola discovery.

In line with the Company's stated strategy, Deltic has also commenced a formal process to pursue the value crystallisation options that exist for the Pensacola discovery which may involve monetisation and/or farm down of its equity interest in the Pensacola discovery.

Qualified Person's Statement:

Andrew Nunn, a Chartered Geologist and Chief Operating Officer of Deltic, is a "Qualified Person" in accordance with the AIM Guidance Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies, June 2009 as updated 21 July 2019, of the London Stock Exchange. Andrew has reviewed and approved the information contained within this announcement.

Standard

Estimates of resources have been prepared in accordance with the PRMS as the standard for classification and reporting.

 Glossary of Technical Terms

Associated Gas:	Associated Gas is a natural gas found in contact with or dissolved in crude oil in the reservoir
BCF:	Billion Cubic Feet
Estimated Ultimate Recovery or EUR:	Estimated Ultimate Recovery is defined as those quantities of petroleum which are estimated, on a given date, to be potentially recoverable from an accumulation, plus those quantities already produced therefrom
Gas Initially in Place:	The quantity of gas that is estimated to exist originally in naturally occurring accumulations before any extraction or production
mD:	A millidarcy (mD) is one thousandth of a darcy and a standard unit of measure of permeability
MMBO:	Million Barrels of Oil
MMBOE or million barrels of oil equivalent:	million barrels of oil equivalent. Gas is converted at 5.98 BCF to 1 MMBOE
Oil Initially in Place:	The quantity of oil that is estimated to exist originally in naturally occurring accumulations before any extraction or production
P90 resource:	reflects a volume estimate that, assuming the accumulation is developed, there is a 90% probability that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the estimate.  This is therefore a low estimate of resource
P50 resource:	reflects a volume estimate that, assuming the accumulation is developed, there is a 50% probability that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the estimate.  This is therefore a median or best case estimate of resource
P10 resource:	Reflects a volume estimate that, assuming the accumulation is developed, there is a 10% probability that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the estimate.  This is therefore a high estimate of resource
PRMS:	the June 2018 Society of Petroleum Engineers ("SPE") Petroleum Resources Management System
WI:	Working Interest

**ENDS**

For further information please contact the following:

Deltic Energy Plc	Tel: [phone]
Graham Swindells / Andrew Nunn / Sarah McLeod
Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser)	Tel: [phone]
David Hart / Alex Brearley (Corporate Finance)
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Callum Stewart / Simon Mensley / Ashton Clanfield
Canaccord Genuity Limited (Joint Broker) Adam James / Gordon Hamilton	Tel: [phone]
Vigo Consulting (IR Adviser)	Tel: [phone]
Patrick d'Ancona / Finlay Thomson / Kendall Hill

 

END