http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/21191/broker-roundup-oil-gas-rockhopper-desire-petroleum-sterling-energy-europa-oil-gas-21191.html
Two of the more topical exploration destinations dominated analyst coverage on Monday, with a successful flow test in the Falklands and a disappointing drilling result in the Kurdistan region of Northern Iraq.
On Friday, Rockhopper Exploration (LON:RKH) reported the successful test of the Sea Lion 1 well in the North Falkland Basin. Sea Lion returned sustained rates in excess of 2,000 barrels per day (bpd) with a maximum rate of 2,304bpd.
The flow-test was constrained by limited equipment, and the company anticipates that additional equipment in any future test would result in a significantly higher flow rate - when also combined with a more optimal well location.
Consequently many analysts were upbeat in their coverage, perhaps the most notable was major US institution Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Alejandro Demichelis, Research analyst at Merrill Lynch, upped his price target by 50p per share to 700p to reflect commercial de-risking of the oilfield following the successful test.
In its base-case valuation Merrill Lynch estimates that Sea Lion has 242 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) and its P10 estimate sees 670mmboe.
We now see RKH focusing on accelerating the appraisal of the field, Demichelis said.
According to Demichelis, Rockhopper could add a number of drillable prospects medium term.
Its SeaLion find in the North Falkland basin has transformed RKH but we still see plenty of upside.
The resource upside potential of the basin and its leverage to the geological play make RKH a strong early-stage E&P, similar to the experience of Cairn and Tullow Oil and their initial India and Ghana/Uganda discoveries.
Evolution Securities analyst David Farrell also upgraded his outlook for the Falklands explorer to Add from Neutral, raising his price target to 450p from 359p.
Everything points to Sea Lion being a commercial development, Farrell said.
The analyst expects Rockhopper to push ahead with an appraisal well as soon as possible, and whilst Farrell acknowledged that Sea Lion should be commercial as a standalone development he expects nearby prospects to be incorporated into a wider development plan.
Richard Rose, Oriel Securities analyst, emphasised that the successful test represents a significant milestone in de-risking the discoverys commerciality.
Oriel Securities reiterated its buy recommendation for Rockhopper.
Ignoring cash balances, the shares are trading at just over 50% of our un-risked NAV for Sea Lion under the P50 case which we believe is far too conservative, Rose said.
Fox-Davies oil and gas analyst Lionel Therond said he was encouraged by the result and upped his target price from 350p to 500p. Therond also raised the Sea Lion oilfields probability of success from 50% to 67%.
According to Alan Sinclair, oil & gas analyst at Seymour Pierce, believes that Rockhoppers good fortune will lso benefit fellow Falkland explorer Desire Petroleum (LON:DES).
Oil fields seldom exist in isolation, Sinclair commented.
The Sea Lion discovery validated the geological model of the basin and de-risked Desire's adjacent prospects. In fact, it actually added another prospect - Elaine - to the Desire portfolio.
The successful test of Sea Lion indicates a potentially commercial project which would help the viability of other discoveries in the area..............