Lundin finds more oil at Alta appraisal wells
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Lundin Norway, a subsidiary of Lundin Petroleum, has completed the drilling of appraisal wells 7220/11-3 and 7220/11-3 A on the eastern flank of the Alta discovery in PL609.
The Alta discovery is located 10-20 km northeast of Lundin Petroleum's Gohta discovery in the Barents Sea South and about 160 km from the Norwegian coastline. The Alta discovery well, 7220/11-1, was completed in October 2014. The preliminary evaluation of the gross recoverable oil and gas resource range from the Alta discovery well after the first well was estimated at 125-400 MMboe.
The appraisal well 7220/11-3 was located approximately 4 km south of the original Alta discovery well and approximately 3 km northeast of the previous appraisal well, 7220/11-2. The main objectives of 7220/11-3, of confirming the reservoir model and proving the presence of hydrocarbon columns and fluid contacts similar to those established in the Alta discovery well, were successfully achieved.
Well 7220/11-3 encountered a 120-m thick hydrocarbon bearing interval, of which 45 m is oil, in rocks of good to very good reservoir quality. The well had to be plugged due to technical problems. A geological sidetrack, 7220/11-3 A, was drilled approximately 400 m southeast of 7220/11-3. The well encountered a gross hydrocarbon column of 74 m, of which 30 m was gas and 44 m oil in reservoir rocks of varying quality. The well will now be temporarily plugged and abandoned to be able to re-enter and drill deeper and eventually carry out a production test at a later stage.
Appraisal wells
Pressure data from wells 7220/11-3 and 7220/11-3 A show communication with the discovery well 7220/11-1. Extensive data acquisition and sampling were performed, including conventional coring and fluid sampling.
Both gas and oil samples were acquired and well-defined gas and oil gradients established. The wells were drilled to total vertical depths of 1,925 m and 1,962 m below mean sea level, respectively, in rocks of Permian age. The water depth is approximately 400 m.
"I am very pleased that all three Alta wells and the two sidetracks have proven moveable gas and oil," Alex Schneiter, COO of Lundin Petroleum, said. "More importantly we have established good pressure communication between all wells indicating a connected hydrocarbon accumulation over an extensive area. We will likely drill up to two further appraisal wells in 2016 in addition to re-entering the latest appraisal well to perform a production test. The Island Innovator rig will now move to the north of PL609 to drill the Neiden prospect."
Lundin Norway is operator and holds 40% working interest in PL609. The partners are DEA Norge AS and Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS with 30% working interest each.
