BRITISH OPERATORS TEST FOUR DISCOVERIES IN NORTH SEA

U.K. North Sea operators have gauged four discoveries-two each in the southern gas basin and the central sector.

Conoco (U.K.) Ltd. drilled the southern basin wells, while Hamilton Bros. Oil & Gas and Phillips U.K. Ltd. drilled the Central North Sea strikes.

Conoco's wells lie northeast of the main Rotleigendes producing area and near the company's Murdoch prospect and Total Oil Marine's Caister gas field.

Drilled to 14,015 ft, the 44/22b-8 wildcat tested a separate structure on the Murdoch block. It flowed 42.5 MMcfd of gas and 325 b/d of condensate through a 54/64 in. choke.

Conoco has a 44% interest in the block. Its partners are ARCO British Ltd. 25%, Enterprise Oil 19.5%, and BP Exploration 11.5%.

The second strike, 44/17-1, drilled to 16,124 ft just north of Murdoch, flowed 12.5 MMcfd of gas and 41 b/d of condensate through a 52/64 in. choke.

Total plans to develop Caister field, but Conoco has declined to sell its share of Caister gas because it prefers a joint Murdoch-Caister development.

Participants in Block 44/17 are Conoco 60%, Ranger 20%, and Union Jack and Cairn Energy 10% each.

Hamilton Bros. tested 11 MMcfd of gas and 3,000 b/d of 47 gravity condensate at its 15/24a-4 wildcat. The well lies east of Amerada Hess Ltd.'s Scott and Ivanhoe-Rob Roy fields and near Texaco North Sea's undeveloped Galley discovery in 15/23a.

Hamilton Oil Corp. holds a 27.25% interest in Block 15/24a. Its partners are Sun Oil Great Britain Ltd. 30.33%, Elf Oil & Gas Ltd. 23.33%, Enterprise Oil plc 9.1%, Ultramar Exploration Ltd.

8.33%, and Monument Resources Ltd. 1.66%.

Phillips' 30/17a-10 wildcat, drilled to 12,200 ft on the Janice prospect, flowed at rates ranging from 580 to 11,000 b/d of 38 gravity oil on three drillstem tests.

Lying about 25 miles south of Judy and Joanne fields, the well is the second oil strike tested recently by Phillips in Quadrant 30.

Last March, Phillips disclosed its 30/13-3 oil discovery, where it is operator for another group.

Partners in Block 30/17a are Phillips and Agip (U.K.) Ltd. 32.6775% each, Chevron U.K. Ltd. 25%, Gas Council (Exploration) Ltd. 6.45%, and Lasmo North Sea plc 3.195%.

Lasmo's interest is being assigned to Phillips as part of an asset exchange.