88 Energy Limited Conventional Prospectivity Review & Icewine Update (0663U)

TIDM88E

RNS Number : 0663U

88 Energy Limited

13 January 2017

This Announcement Contains Inside Information.

13 January 2017

Conventional Prospectivity Review Complete & Icewine#2 Update

88 Energy Limited ("88 Energy", "the Company", "Operator") (ASX, AIM: 88E) is pleased to provide an update on Project Icewine, located onshore North Slope of Alaska.

Highlights

   --     Conventional Prospectivity Review by 88 Energy over Project Icewine complete 

-- Additional resource potential identified for conventional leads across Project Icewine acreage, based on internal estimates totalling:

o 710 million barrels of gross mean Prospective Resources (unrisked)

o 550 million barrels of net mean Prospective Resources to 88 Energy (unrisked)

   --     Total Resource Potential (conventional only), including previously reported leads: 

o 1.47 billion barrels gross mean Prospective Resources (unrisked)

o 1.14 billion barrels net mean Prospective Resources to 88 Energy (unrisked)

   --      Plan of Operations for Icewine#2 Production Test Well approved - Late December 2016 

Managing Director of 88 Energy Limited, Dave Wall commented: "The results from the 2D seismic interpretation continue to exceed our expectations for the conventional potential across Project Icewine.

Whilst the conventional Prospective Resource is very large, it is eclipsed by the potential of the HRZ, especially given the recently expanded acreage position. Additionally, the HRZ has been de-risked via analysis of the results from Icewine#1 and remains the Company's primary objective.

Preparations for the drilling of Icewine#2, which will test the production potential of the HRZ, remain on track and we look forward to providing further news on this front over the coming months, in the lead up to spud."

Permitting Update

On December 23rd, the Lease Plan of Operations for Icewine#2 was approved by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas. The only remaining permit, the Permit to Drill, is typically submitted post the approval of all other permits, in the lead up to final drilling preparations. No issues are expected in relation to its approval prior to the planned spud date for Icewine#2. Icewine#2 remains on schedule for late Q1 spud and has been designed to test the production potential of the HRZ interval.

Conventional Prospectivity Review - Results

88 Energy has completed the interpretation of the 2D seismic data acquired/ licensed by the Company early in 2016 across Project Icewine and is encouraged by the results of the technical evaluation. Stacking of Leads mapped in the Central region and on the Western margin of Project Icewine may, on maturation, offer the opportunity to test multiple objectives with one exploration well.

The principal objective of the seismic acquisition program, which was to evaluate the conventional prospectivity across Project Icewine, has been achieved. A conventional Prospect and Lead Portfolio has been been developed to complement the unconventional Prospective Resource potential already recognised in the HRZ liquids rich resource play.

Table 1: Project Icewine Conventional Prospectivity Summary

Prospective Oil Resources - Unrisked Recoverable - MMBO

 
 PROJECT ICEWINE CONVENTIONAL LEAD SUMMARY 
  Prospective Oil Resources - Unrisked Recoverable 
  - MMBO 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
      Lead         Low    Best   High   Gross Mean     Net Mean 
                                                      to 88E (WI: 
                                                        77.5%) 
---------------- 
  Eastern Play Fairway 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
      Alpha         19     71    263       118            91 
----------------  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Romeo        2.1    3.4    5.3       3.6           2.8 
                  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Sierra       1.1    2.0    3.4       2.2           1.7 
---------------- 
  Central Play Fairway 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
      Golf          60    115    210       128            99 
----------------  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Hotel         10     18     31       19.8          15.3 
                  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      India         61    116    212       129           100 
----------------  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Juliet        52     99    181       110            85 
----------------  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
  Western Play Fairway 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
      Bravo        129    245    449       273           212 
----------------  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Oscar        14.5   26.6    47       29.2          22.6 
                  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Papa         7.6    13.9   24.6      15.3          11.9 
----------------  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Charlie*     147    257    432       277           215 
----------------  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Delta*       74.7   131    219       141           109 
----------------  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Foxtrot*     40.9   71.5   120        77            60 
                  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      Mike*         50    87.5   147        94            73 
----------------  -----  -----  -----  -----------  ------------- 
      November*    24.8   45.6   80.4      50.1           39 
----------------                       -----------  ------------- 
 FINAL TOTAL                              1,468         1,137 
-------------------------------------  -----------  ------------- 
 

Prospective resources classified in accordance with SPE-PRMS as at 13(th) January 2017 using probabilistic and deterministic methods on an unrisked basis. Leads identified from interpretation of modern 2D seismic acquired in 2015/2016 across Project Icewine, which comprises 271,119** gross acres on the Central North Slope of Alaska. 88 Energy is Operator of record at Project Icewine (through its wholly owned subsidiary Accumulate Energy Alaska, Inc) with a 77.5% working interest.

Cautionary Statement: The estimated quantities of petroleum that may be potentially recovered by the application of a future development project relate to undiscovered accumulations. These estimates have both an associated risk of discovery and a risk of development. Further exploration, appraisal and evaluation are required to determine the existence of a significant quantity of potentially movable hydrocarbons.

*Conceptual leads extend into previously open acreage to the west of Icewine Project, which was successfully bid on by 88 Energy in the recent State of Alaska Licensing round, December 2016. Currently delineated on Icewine 2D seismic data and extending onto sparse vintage 2D. Further technical work is required to define the full potential of the Western Play Fairway conceptual leads.

** An additional 420,000 gross acres (190,000 net to 88E) is subject to formal award, which is expected in 2017

On completion of the conventional prospectivity portfolio review, the Alpha and Bravo Leads remain the most significant given their seismic relief and geometries. Of note, the Alpha Lead is located close to the transportation corridor and mature infrastructure so could be developed relatively quickly, in the event of exploration success. The Bravo Lead is the most significant Lead in the Western Play Fairway, with closure delineated on the new 2016 seismic database. Additional information on the Alpha and Bravo Leads is included in the attached Appendix.

The conventional leads mapped are predominantly stratigraphic and the majority are considered to be associated with slope apron, turbidites and basin floor fan development (see the Conventional Leads Prospectivity Map and Acreage Position in the attached Appendix). The Tarn Oil Pool, Kuparuk River Unit to the norwest of Project Icewine is considered a proven and productive analogue. The Tarn Oil Pool comprises multiple stacked sands within the Seabee Formation. Depositional systems associated with the Tarn Oil Pool are also included in the attached Appendix.

Several significant conceptual leads were identified with the Seabee formation and mapped on the western margin of the Project Icewine acreage - the Western Play Fairway. These leads are considered conceptual at this stage as they extend marginally beyond the existing 2016 2D seismic database onto sparse vintage 2D and require further technical work to confirm their western closure. The leads have seismic geometries consistent with the depositional model at the Tarn Oil Pool to the norwest.

Incised gullies analogous to those in the Tarn Play Fairway have been identified on the shelf break immediately west of Project Icewine and represent potential point source to deliver sediments downslope for slope apron, turbidite & basin floor fan development in the Western Play fairway and across Project Icewine.

88 Energy successfully bid on additional acreage in the recent State of Alaska December 2016 Licensing Round as part of the strategy to increase the footprint of its HRZ liquids rich resource play and capture the full western extent of the conceptual leads identified on the 2D seismic in the Project Icewine Western Play Fairway.

Media and Investor Relations:

88 Energy Ltd

Dave Wall, Managing Director Tel: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

   Finlay Thomson, Investor Relations                                         Tel: [phone] 

Hartleys Ltd

Dale Bryan Tel: + 61 8 9268 2829

Cenkos Securities

Neil McDonald/Derrick Lee Tel: [phone]

Pursuant to the requirements of the ASX Listing Rules Chapter 5 and the AIM Rules for Companies, the technical information and resource reporting contained in this announcement was prepared by, or under the supervision of, Mr Brent Villemarette, who is a Non Executive Director of the Company. Mr Villemarette has more than 30 years' experience in the petroleum industry and is a qualified Reservoir Engineer who has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style and nature of the oil prospects under consideration and to the activities discussed in this document. His academic qualifications and industry memberships appear on the Company's website and both comply with the criteria for "Competence" under clauses 18-21 of the Valmin Code 2005. Terminology and standards adopted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers "Petroleum Resources Management System" have been applied in producing this document.

Project Icewine Overview

In November 2014, the Company entered into a binding agreement with Burgundy Xploration (BEX) to acquire a significant working interest (87.5%, reducing to 77.5% on spud of the first well on the project) in a large acreage position on a multiple objective, liquids rich exploration opportunity onshore Alaska, North America, referred to as Project Icewine. In June 2016, the gross acreage position was expanded to 271,119 contiguous acres (210,250 acres net to the Company). In December 2016 the Company successfully bid on additional acres. On award the Project Icewine gross acreage position will be further expanded to 690,000 contiguous acres (400,000 acres net to the Company assuming all rights are taken up).

The Project is located on an all year operational access road with both conventional and unconventional oil potential. The primary term for the State leases is 10 years with no mandatory relinquishment and a low 16.5% royalty.

The HRZ liquids-rich resource play has been successfully evaluated based on core obtained in the recently completed (December 2015) Icewine #1 exploration well, marking the completion of Phase I of Project Icewine. Phase II has now commenced, with a followup appraisal well, Icewine#2, scheduled for spud in late 1Q2017. Icewine#2 has been designed as a vertical well with a multi-stage stimulation and flow test, to assess the production potential of the HRZ.

Significant conventional prospectivity has also been identified on recently acquired 2D seismic across the project acreage.

Cautionary Statement: The estimated quantities of petroleum that may be potentially recovered by the application of a future development project relate to undiscovered accumulations. These estimates have both an associated risk of discovery and a risk of development. Further exploration, appraisal and evaluation are required to determine the existence of a significant quantity of potentially movable hydrocarbons.

Generous exploration incentives are provided by the State of Alaska with up to 35% of net operating loss refundable in cash.

The primary objective is an untested, unconventional liquids-rich shale play in a prolific source rock, the HRZ shale (Brookian Sequence), that co-sourced the largest oil field in North America; the giant Prudhoe Bay Oil Field Complex. Internal modelling and analysis indicates that Project Icewine is located in a high liquids vapour phase sweetspot analogous to those encountered in other Tier 1 shale plays e.g. the Eagle Ford, Texas.

Recently acquired 2D seismic has identified large conventional leads at Project Icewine within the same Brookian petroleum system and shallow to the HRZ shale, including potential high porosity channel and turbiditic sands associated with slope apron and deepwater fan plays. The Brookian conventional play is proven on the North Slope; the USGS (2013) estimated the remaining oil potential to be 2.1 billion barrels within the Brookian sequence. Two recent discoveries in the Brookian have already exceeded these estimates, with Armstrong/Repsol discovering 1.4 billion barrels in 2015 and Caelus announcing a 2.5 billion barrel discovery in 2016. Additional conventional potential exists in the Brookian delta topset play, deeper Kuparuk sands and the Ivishuk Formation.

A Prospective Resources Report by DeGolyer and MacNaughton, was commissioned by 88 Energy to evaluate the unconventional resource potential of Project Icewine in February 2016 and was released to the market on 6(th) April 2016.

About 88 Energy: 88 Energy has a 77.5% working interest and operatorship in 271,000 acres onshore the prolific North Slope of Alaska ("Project Icewine"). Gross contiguous acreage position will expand on award of additional leases successfully bid on in the December 2016 State of Alaska North Slope Licensing Round.The North Slope is the host to the 15 billion barrel Prudhoe Bay oilfield complex, the largest conventional oil pool in North America. The Company, with its Joint Venture partner Burgundy Xploration, has identified highly prospective play types that are likely to exist on the Project Icewine acreage - two conventional and one unconventional. The large unconventional resource potential of Project Icewine was independently verified by leading international petroleum resource consultant DeGolyer and MacNaughton. In addition to the interpreted high prospectivity, the project is strategically located on a year-round operational access road and only 35 miles south of Pump Station 1 where Prudhoe Bay feeds into the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. The Company acquired 2D seismic in early 2016 to take advantage of the globally unique fiscal system in Alaska, which allowed for up to 75% of 1H2016 exploration expenditure to be rebated in cash. Results from the seismic mapping and prospectivity review are encouraging, and form the basis of a conventional prospectivity portfolio for Project Icewine. In late 2015, the Company completed its maiden well at the project, Icewine#1, to evaluate an unconventional source rock reservoir play which yielded excellent results from analysis of core obtained from the HRZ shale. A follow-up well with a multi-stage stimulation and test of the HRZ shale, Icewine#2, is planned for 1Q2017.

Please click on the following link to access the Appendix:-

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/0663U_-2017-1-12.pdf

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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January 13, 2017 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT)