A drill stem test at the Lincoln Crestal wildcat well near the Lancaster fractured basement field in the UK West of Shetland area has produced oil, according to UK independent operator Hurricane Energy, writes Rob Watts.

Hurricane made the announcement earlier this week after photographs supposedly of the semi-submersible drilling unit Transocean Leader flaring gas appeared on Twitter.

“The company notes speculation regarding the flare on the Transocean Leader drilling rig. The company confirms that a drill stem test on the Lincoln Crestal well has produced oil to surface,” Hurricane said. The well was shut in on 8 September to enable a planned pressure build-up test, with results due to be published when the testing phase is completed, Hurricane added.

The company said last week that it was starting a drill stem test after the wildcat — the second of three aimed at finding additional resources to Lancaster — had reached a total depth of 1780 metres, including a 720-metre horizontal section of fractured basement reservoir.

The first well in the Greater Warwick area, Warwick Deep, earlier this year failed to flow commercial rates for operator Hurricane and 50% partner Spirit Energy, putting more pressure on the Lincoln Crestal wildcat to perform.

If the ongoing well yields a commercial discovery, Hurricane plans to tie it back to the Aoka Mizu floating production, storage and offloading vessel, the centrepiece of an early production system that started production on its 100%-owned Lancaster field in June.

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Twitter pics prompt Hurricane to confirm oil in Lincoln well test