Sigguk Block

Sigguk

Location of the Sigguk Block oil field within Greenland

Country Greenland
Location Baffin Bay
Block 2008/10
Offshore/onshore offshore
Coordinates 71°40′59.99″N 55°52′0.01″W / 71.6833306°N 55.8666694°W / 71.6833306; -55.8666694Coordinates: 71°40′59.99″N 55°52′0.01″W / 71.6833306°N 55.8666694°W / 71.6833306; -55.8666694
Operator Cairn Energy
Partners Cairn Energy (67.5%)
Petronas (20%)
NUNAOIL (12.5%)
Field history
Discovery 2010

Sigguk Block is an oil exploration block in Baffin Bay. It is located 175 kilometres (109 mi) west of Disko Island, Greenland. The block consists of Alpha, T4, and T8 prospects.[1] The license to explore the block belongs to Cairn Energy's subsidiary Capricorn Greenland Exploration Limited.[2][3] In October 2009 Cairn Energy sold a 20% stake of its rights to Petronas.[4] The national oil company of Greenland NUNAOIL owns 12.5% interest.[2][3] The license expires on 31 December 2017.[3]

Exploration wells at the Alpha prospect are drilled by semi-submersible drilling rig Stena Don and at the T8 prospect by the drillship Stena Forth.[5] Drilling commenced on 1 July 2010.[6] On 24 August 2010, Stena Forth discovered natural gas resource when it drilled the T8-1 exploration well.[7] However, this resource occurred to be too small for commercial production. The well was plugged and abandoned. On 21 September 2010 it was announced that oil and gas resource was discovered when drilling the Alpha-1S1 well.[8]

Drilling at the Sigguk Block is opposed by Greenpeace. On 31 August 2010, four Greenpeace activists invaded Stena Don which was drilling on the Alpha prospect. The Government of Greenland described this action as "very serious and an illegal attack on the country's constitutional rights".[5] This action was ended on 1 September due to bad weather. All four activist were arrested and charged with breaking and entering, as well as trespass.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Cairn Energy Encounters Gas With First Well in Greenland". OilVoice. 2010-08-25. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  2. 1 2 "Cairn Energy Acquires Greenland Blocks". OilVoice. 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  3. 1 2 3 "Licence: No. 2008/10, Sigguk, West Greenland". NUNAOIL. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  4. ↑ "Petronas and Cairn seal Greenland deal". Upstream Online (NHST Media Group). 2009-10-14. (subscription required). Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  5. 1 2 Pitt, Anthea (2010-08-31). "Nuuk ire at Greenpeace rig move". Upstream Online (NHST Media Group). (subscription required). Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  6. ↑ Panchal, Tapan (2010-08-24). "Cairn Energy Starts Drilling At Alpha Prospect In Sigguk Block". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones Newswires. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  7. ↑ "Cairn cheers Greenland find". Upstream Online (NHST Media Group). 2010-08-24. (subscription required). Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  8. ↑ "Cairn hopes rise with Greenland find". Upstream Online (NHST Media Group). 2010-09-21. (subscription required). Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  9. ↑ Pitt, Anthea (2010-09-02). "Greenland police charge rig protestors". Upstream Online (NHST Media Group). (subscription required). Retrieved 2010-09-05.
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