88 Energy (LON:88E) will shortly advance the Icewine well to its main targets, the company revealed in its weekly drilling update.
It said that current operations involve setting casing at a depth of 3,500 feet. Thereafter the well will be drilled through the Brookian section. And the next casing point will be at around 10,300 feet, after which the company will begin coring operations in the primary target, the lower Hue / upper HRZ.
Dave Wall, 88 Energy managing director, said: "Drilling operations in the top hole have proceeded smoothly and on schedule, with no HSE or lost time incidents.
“After setting the 9 5/8 casing, we will drill ahead into the more geologically interesting Brookian sequence."
In all, the well will have a total depth of 11,600 feet. It is scheduled to be a thirty day drill programme.
The company told investors that certain well data will be made available upon completion of drilling operations, though definitive testing of the HRZ shale potential will take several months of data analysis. This will include lab testing of the shale core.
The Brookian section has conventional hydrocarbon potential, and similarly so does a deeper horizon called Kuparuk. 88 Energy highlighted that the well design should allow these zones to be tested, if warranted.