Clearer plans are emerging all the time about the exploration drilling program due to kick off in the first quarter of next year offshore the Falkland Islands involving a clutch of independents looking to follow up on the Sea Lion discovery.

British-based independents Premier Oil and Falklands Oil & Gas (FOGL), along with Noble Energy and Edison International, are all participating in the 2015 Falklands drilling program, which will use Ocean Rig’s Eirik Raude semisubmersible. Four firm wells are due to be drilled in the North Falklands Basin near the Sea Lion discovery, targeting up to 2.1 Bbbl of oil, according to Premier.

The prospects due to be tested are Zebedee, Isobel Deep, then Jayne East and Chatham, all in the North Falklands Basin, south of Sea Lion.

Another well is possible on the Humpback prospect in the South Falklands Basin, FOGL further indicated in a separate presentation.

Optional drilling slots have been secured with the Eirik Raude, allowing partners to target additional prospects or drill further appraisal wells.

Gross prospective resources for Jayne East – where FOGL holds 40% equity – are put at 85 MMbbl. Isobel Deep in PL004a, where FOGL holds 40%, is estimated to hold 240 MMbbl although Premier Oil’s figures suggest this prospect, where drilling will be aimed at derisking the southern area within PL004, could hold anywhere between 55 MMbbl and 933 MMbbl.

The estimated resources for Zebedee, also in PL004a – where a well is due to test a total of seven horizons – is 160 MMbbl for two reservoirs and another 121 MMbbl for a third.

Premier puts potential resources at Chatham at 60 MMbbl if there is no gas cap, and it could well be added to phase one of the Sea Lion development if it comes in. Jayne East has the potential to add between 23 MMbbl and 232 MMbbl to a second phase.

Humpback has gross prospective resources of 510 MMbbl and if successfully drilled, will help to derisk four other high-graded prospects named Finback, Caperea, Minke, and other leads in a Diomeda fan complex, which is one of three areas mapped with a 12,000 sq km (4,632 sq mile) 3-D survey completed previously for Noble. Two other areas of interest were also identified from this large survey, Cretaceous Fault blocks and a Hersilia Fan complex. All three areas lie to the east and south-east of the Falkland Islands in 1,000 m (3,300 ft) of water or more.

The Cretaceous fault block area contains the Darwin gas and condensate discovery, where FOGL has identified a further two potential drilling targets – Scharnhorst North, estimated at 188 MMbbl and Nurnberg, on which evaluation is ongoing.

In the Hersilia fan complex, where a further 5,750 sq km (2,219 sq miles) of 3-D data has been acquired, FOGL identifies three prospects, Hersilia, West Hersilia, and Challenger. This area also contains the previous Loligo gas discovery.