May. 2013 - Xodus Group has been selected by Premier Oil to conduct a front end engineering and design (FEED) study for the Catcher field development in the central North Sea. To complete the $1.9 million FEED study, Xodus will develop and engineer field and subsea architecture, flow assurance processes, subsea control systems, pipelines and tie-ins, as well as provide technical safety and risk support. Premier and its partners, Wintershall and Cairn, hope to have the design phase completed by 4Q 2013.

Jan. 2013 - Premier Oil and its partners in the Catcher field formally agreed on a development concept and have moved into the design phase. Front end engineering and design is underway on the subsea facilities and the FPSO tender process has been started. The design phase should be completed by the end of September. Premier's Carnaby well, which was drilled in June 2012, will likely be utilized as a tieback to the Catcher development.

May. 2012 - Premier Oil reported that concept engineering and evaluation by the JV partners of the Catcher development continues to progress. It is expected that an agreement on the conceptual design of the development will be reached in the third quarter. The operator continues to target a final investment decision around year-end and first oil in 2015.

Apr. 2012 - Cairn Energy has agreed to buy Norwegian oil firm Agora Oil & Gas as part of a strategy to balance its portfolio of assets. Cairn will pay $450 million for Agora, which holds several assets in the UK and Norwegian North Sea. Agora holds a 15 percent stake in the Catcher P1430 license in the Central North Sea and a 20 percent interest in the Tybalt P1632 license in the Northern North Sea, along with nine other licenses.

Mar. 2012 - Nautical Petroleum, a partner in the Catcher field, expects production to commence from the development in 2015. The final field-development plan (FDP) for the discovery will be submitted before the end of this year. Catcher is estimated to hold 135 MMbbl of oil. The Catcher field is located in the Central North Sea Block 28/9 in a water depth of 299 feet (91 meters).

Oct. 2011 - EnCore Oil has completed a drilling campaign in the Catcher area, delivering greater certainty on the extent and potential within the license. Discoveries Varadero and Burgman and a number of highly attractive prospects indicate that this part of the UKCS holds a new hydrocarbon fairway, stated the operator. These discoveries are progressing towards development, and the company hopes to gain approvals on field development plans by the Department of Energy & Climate Change in 2012, followed by first oil a few years later. The Catcher field is located in the Central North Sea Block 28/9 in a water depth of 299 feet (91 meters). EnCore Oil serves as the operator of Catcher, holding a 15 percent interest; Premier Oil holds 50 percent; Nautical holds 15 percent; and Wintershall holds the remaining 20 percent interest.

Feb. 2011 - The Catcher North well (28/9-03) has encountered gas and oil-bearing sandstones in the UK sector of the North Sea. The well was drilled to a total measured depth of 5,265 feet (1,605 meters) by the GSF Galaxy II jackup. Initial analysis indicates a total of 34 feet (10 meters) of net hydrocarbon pay. This total pay comprises 20 feet (6 meters) of net gas pay in the Tay sandstones and 14 feet (4 meters) of oil pay in the Cromarty sandstones; the latter is at the bottom end of the operator’s pre-drill predictions. The Catcher North well was purposely located to penetrate the Cromarty reservoir in an area with less seismic amplitude response than that observed over the equivalent section at Catcher. Due to the lower than expected oil pay encountered at the well, the operator now estimates the overall oil reserves range for the combined Catcher, Catcher North and Catcher East discoveries at around 40 and 80 mmbbls. The well will now be plugged and abandoned. Catcher North is located on Block 28/9 in the UK sector of the North Sea. EnCore operates the license, holding a 15% interest. Partners in the license include Premier Oil (35%), Wintershall (20%), Nautical Petroleum (15%), and Agora Oil & Gas (15%).

Jan. 2011 - EnCore has spudded the Catcher North appraisal well 28/9-3 in the UK sector of the North Sea on Block 28/9. Transocean's GSF Galaxy II jackup is drilling the well, and Applied Drilling Technology International, a turnkey drilling services provider, is managing the operations. Drilling should take about 20 days, subject to weather and operational requirements. The main objective of the well is to appraise the Tay and Cromarty reservoirs to the north of the Catcher discovery, made in June 2010, at estimated depths of about 4,300 feet (1,311 meters [Tay]) and 4,500 feet (1,372 meters [Cromarty]), commented the operator. EnCore operates the license, holding a 15% interest. Partners in the license include Premier Oil (35%), Wintershall (20%), Nautical Petroleum (15%), and Agora Oil & Gas (15%).

Jul. 2010 - EnCore Oil reached a total depth on the Catcher Southwest appraisal sidetrack well on Block 28/9. The 28/9-1Y well was drilled to a measured depth of 6,255 feet (1,907 meters), encountering high quality oil-bearing reservoir sandstones at the targeted Cromarty sandstone level. Initial analysis indicates a gross reservoir interval of 449 feet (137 meters), equivalent to a vertical reservoir thickness of 261 feet (80 meters); a net vertical sand thickness of 121 feet (37 meters); and a hydrocarbon column of 173 feet (53 meters). Additionally, the fluid levels of the appraisal well are consistent with the oil water contact found in the Catcher discovery well. The current phase of the Catcher area drilling program is now complete, and the Galaxy II jackup will be released following completion operations on the 28/9-1Y well. The Catcher field is located in the Central North Sea Block 28/9 in a water depth of 299 feet (91 meters). EnCore Oil serves as the operator of Catcher, holding a 15% interest; Premier Oil holds 50%; Nautical holds 15%; and Wintershall holds the remaining 20% interest.

Jun. 2010 - EnCore Oil reported that the Catcher discovery and the Catcher East sidetrack well are likely to be part of a single significant oil accumulation. Catcher could contain in-place oil of up to 300 MMbbl, and if confirmed, it would be one of the larger North Sea oil accumulations in recent years. The company recently completed the Catcher East sidetrack well (28/9-1Z) in Block 28/9. The well was drilled to a total depth of 5,931 feet (1,808 meters), finding oil-bearing sandstones with an average porosity of about 34%. Initial analysis indicates the well hit 82 feet (25 meters) of net hydrocarbon pay over a gross interval of more than 236 feet (72 meters). A core taken from the main sand body recovered 44 feet (13 meters) of oil-bearing sand. Pressure data indicates a common pressure regime between Catcher East and the Catcher discovery, and on this basis, an oil column of about 267 feet (81 meters) was proven. EnCore will now drill an additional sidetrack southwest of the discovery well, to prove the presence of additional reservoir sands not found in the original well. Appraisal drilling will commence following the completion of the current well. EnCore Oil serves as the operator of Catcher, holding a 15% interest; Premier Oil holds 50%; Nautical holds 15%; and Wintershall holds the remaining 20% interest.

Jun. 2010 - The Catcher well 28/9-1 was drilled to a total measured depth of 5,219 feet (1,591 meters), and encountered oil bearing reservoir sandstones at 4,600 feet (1,402 meters) at the targeted Cromarty Sandstone level. Initial analysis indicates the discovery is a minimum 240 feet (73 meters) oil column with a calculated net pay of 90 feet (27 meters). Data was gathered and testing will now be performed with the aim of collecting both flow rate characteristics and sufficient oil samples for potential development studies. Dependent upon testing results, the group plans to drill a sidetrack well to test the Catcher East area, which demonstrates similar seismic characteristics to the Catcher discovery area. The Catcher prospect is located in the Central North Sea Block 28/9 in a water depth of 299 feet (91 meters). EnCore Oil serves as the operator of Catcher, holding a 15% interest; Premier Oil holds 50%; Nautical holds 15%; and Wintershall holds the remaining 20% interest.

May. 2010 - EnCore spudded exploration well 28/9-a on the Catcher prospect in the Central North Sea Block 28/9. The well is being drilled by Transocean's GSF Galaxy II jackup and drilling should take about 15 to 20 days to reach total depth. The objective of the well is to establish if hydrocarbons are present in a Paleocene age reservoir at an estimated depth of 4,400 feet (1,341 meters). EnCore Oil serves as the operator, holding a 15% interest; Premier Oil holds 50%; Nautical holds 15%; and Wintershall holds the remaining 20% interest.

Mar. 2010 - EnCore Oil has signed an agreement with Transocean for their Galaxy II jack-up rig to spud the Catcher Prospect exploration well. The prospect is located in UK Central North Sea Block 28/9.

Feb. 2010 - Appraisal drilling on the Cladhan discovery, located on Blocks 210/29a and 210/30a, will commence between late March and early July 2010 using the J W McLean semisub. The well will appraise the southward extension of the stratigraphically trapped 110-foot light oil column encountered during the discovery in November 2008. The Catcher prospect, located in the UK Central North Sea Block 28/9, will be drilled by the GSF Galaxy II jackup in late March/early April 2010. In the event of a discovery on the Catcher prospect, the operator expects to either well test or perform a sidetrack into the adjacent Catcher East Eocene Tay sand prospect. Sterling Energy operates Cladhan, and Encore operates the Catcher prospect.

Jun. 2009 - EnCore is finalizing plans to drill an exploration well on its Catcher prospect, located in the UK North Sea on Blocks 28/9 and 28/10c in a water depth of 299 feet (91 meters). The operator plans to drill the exploration well during 2010.

Jun. 2009 - In May, the Company assumed operatorship of the Catcher field, located on Blocks 28/9 and 28/10c in the North Sea, following license operator Oilexco being placed into administration. The Company is now working with partners, Premier Oil, Nautical Petroleum and Wintershall, to finalize a plan for a well on the Catcher prospect, which is likely to be drilled in 2010.