Treasures in the basement?
Untested geological formations known as ‘fractured basements’ could be hiding a vast store of hydrocarbons, but explorers need to overcome logistical challenges and industry scepticism
A West of Shetlands play being pursued by Hurricane Energy is entering a production phase that could prove crucial not just for the UK-based hydrocarbons firm, and the Scottish region, but also for industry perceptions of a reservoir type that was for decades derided as unfeasible. First oil from the fractured basement in Hurricane's Lancaster field, located along the prominent Rona Ridge basement that is home to most of its portfolio, can now proceed this year after the Aoka Mizu floating, production, storage and offloading vessel successfully connected to the early production system on 19 March. If successful, output is expected to reach around 17,000bl/d once the initial start-up phase ha
Also in this section
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
11 March 2026
De la Rey Venter, CEO of LNG player MidOcean Energy, discusses strategy, project developments and the prospects for the LNG market
