Statoil in discovery near Visund field in North Sea
STAVANGER, Norway -- Statoil Petroleum, operator of production license 120, has completed the drilling of exploration well 34/8-16 S. The well encountered an oil/gas/condensate column of about 85 m.
The well was drilled on the east flank of Visund field in the northern part of the North Sea, and about 140 km northwest of Bergen, Norway.
The primary exploration target for the well was to prove gas and/or gas condensate in the Middle Triassic (the Lomvi formation). The secondary exploration target was to investigate additional resources in Lower to Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Statfjord and Brent Group) and Upper Triassic reservoir rocks (the Lunde formation).
The well encountered an oil/gas/condensate column of about 85 m in the Lunde formation, 40 m of which were of moderate to good reservoir quality. The Brent group is not present. Preliminary calculations of the size of the discovery are between 0.4 and 1.1 MMcm of recoverable oil equivalents. The licensees will consider further development of the discovery in the context of other potential additional resources.
The well was not formation tested, but comprehensive data collection and sampling were carried out.
This is the 26th exploration well drilled in production license 120. Well 34/8-16 S was drilled to a vertical and measured depth of 3,875 m and 3,830 m below sea level, respectively, and was terminated in the Hegre group in the Triassic. The water depth at the site is 380 m. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.
The well was drilled by the Songa Trym semisubmersible.
