Drilling has commenced on a previous discovery which could prove up additional reserves for the UK North Sea Greater Stella area development.
Ithaca reports today that drilling has kicked off on the Hurricane prospect in block 29/10b with the WilHunter semi-submersible drilling the new well under the management of Applied Drilling Technologies International.
Drilling is aiming at testing Hurricane which was originally discovered by Shell back in 1995 when the  29/10-4z discovery well encountered 41º API oil – in Eocene Rogaland sands in the western lobe of the structure.
Operator Ithaca’s new drilling programme, which is expected to take between 75 and 85 days, includes provision for a drill stem test.
The new Hurricane well – which has a pre-drill estimate of 2.7 million barrels of oil equivalent ,will be aiming to confirm the nature and volume of hydrocarbons, verify the hydrocarbon reservoir against seismic amplitude data, and confirm the distribution quality and connectivity of Hurricane reservoirs.
Ithaca says the Hurricane discovery lies within 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) 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.”
Ithaca is operating the well with 54.66%, and its partners are Dyas UK with 25.34% and Petrofac Energy Developments with 20

http://www.offshore.no/international/article/New_Greater_Stella_Area_well_