OMV Norge delineates Wisting discovery in the Barents Sea

STAVANGER -- OMV (Norge) AS, operator of production licence 537, has completed the drilling of appraisal well 7324/8-3 on oil discovery 7324/8-1 (Wisting) in the Barents Sea.

The well was drilled about 2 km south of the discovery well 7324/8-1 and 315 km north of Hammerfest.

Discovery 7324/8-1 was proven in reservoir rocks from the Middle and Early Jurassic (upper part of the Realgrunnen sub-group) in 2013. Before appraisal well 7324/8-3 was drilled, the operator’s resource estimate for the Wisting area was between 22 and 80 MMscm of recoverable oil equivalents.

The objective of the well was to collect data to reduce uncertainties as regards the recoverable volumes, as well as to perform a water injection test in reservoir rocks in the Stø formation and a seismic monitoring study.

Well 7324/8-3 encountered an oil column of about 55 m in sandstones from the Middle Jurassic to Late Triassic (Stø and Fruholmen formations). The Stø formation has very good reservoir properties, while the Fruholmen formation has moderate to good reservoir properties. The resource estimate on the Wisting discovery will be updated based on evaluation of the new well data. The result will be important for future maturing of the Wisting area with regard to a potential development.

Extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out. A successful water injection test has been completed in the Stø formation. The formation test showed good injection properties.

Appraisal well 7324/8-3 was drilled to a vertical depth of 775 m below the sea surface, and was terminated in the Fruholmen formation from the Late Triassic Age. Water depth at the site is 396 m. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.

This is the sixth exploration well in production licence 537. The licence was awarded in the 20th licensing round in 2009.

Well 7324/8-3 was drilled by the Island Innovator drilling facility.