Small oil discovery southeast of the Grane field in the North Sea
2011.02.03 -
Field Development
Norwegian Energy Company ASA (Noreco), operator of production licence 545, is in the process of completing the drilling of wildcat well 17/6-1. The well was drilled approximately 100 kilometres southeast of the Grane field in the central part of the North Sea.
The objective of the well was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (Sandnes and Bryne formations). The well encountered oil in a five-metre thick sandstone layer with low reservoir quality in the Sandnes formation. Pressure measurements indicate a possible oil column of 45 metres. The underlying Bryne formation was water-bearing, with good reservoir quality.
The well was not formation tested, but data acquisition has been carried out. Preliminary estimates of the size of the discovery range between 0.05 and one million standard cubic metres (Sm3) recoverable oil. The find is not commercially interesting.
The well is the first exploration well in production licence 545, which was awarded on 19 February 2010 (APA 2009). The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 3065 metres below sea level and terminated in the Skagerrak formation in the Upper Triassic. The water depth is 272 metres. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.
Well 17/6-1 was drilled by the drilling facility West Alpha, which will now proceed to production licence 159 B in the Norwegian Sea to carry out completion work on production well 6507/3-L-4-AH, where Statoil Petroleum AS is the operator.
PA Resources AB has signed an agreement with the shareholders to acquire the entire share capital of the British oil exploration company Scotsdale Ltd. The company is focusing on low risk exploration in North West Europe. The acquisition means that PA Resources increases its presence in the North Sea with licenses in the United Kingdom and Denmark, and potentially also in the Netherlands.
Aker Exploration has entered into agreements with the international oil company Eni Norge to acquire ownership interests in two licenses in the vicinity of the Åsgard field. The agreements further strengthen Aker Exploration’s position in the Norwegian Sea.
SCAN Geophysical ASA (SCAN) today announced that the company is
remobilising its seismic vessel, M/V Geo Searcher, to re-commence a previously-suspended
2D project offshore Pakistan for BP.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted ENI Norge AS a drilling permit for wellbore 34/12-1 in the North Sea.
Eni has successfully drilled the last appraisal well, encountered approximately 127 metres (419 ft) of net pay in multiple sands. The initial analysis indicates good reservoir quality.
