Statoil Drills Duster in Norwegian Sea

Statoil Drills Duster in Norwegian Sea

Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate

Statoil, operator of production license 429, is in the process of completing drilling of delineation well 6407/4-2 on the 6407/4-1gas/condensate discovery.

The discovery was proven in 1985, in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Garn formation) about 25 kilometers west of the Mikkel field. Before well 6407/4-2 was drilled, the resource estimate for the discovery was 2.55 billion standard cubic meters (Sm3) of recoverable gas and 0.67 million Sm3 of recoverable condensate.

The primary exploration target for the well was to delineate the 6407/4-1 gas/condensate discovery. The secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Ile formation).

In the primary target, reservoir rocks in the Garn formation were encountered, with poorer reservoir quality than expected. The secondary target in the Ile formation had reservoir rocks with the expected reservoir quality.

Data acquisition and sampling have been carried out. Both exploration targets in the well were water-bearing.

This is the first exploration well in production license 429. The license was awarded in APA 2006.

The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 4207 meters below sea level, and was terminated in the Ile formation in the Middle Jurassic. The water depth at the site is 222 meters. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.

The 6407/4-2 well was drilled by the Transocean Leader drilling facility, which will now proceed to production license 312 in the Norwegian Sea to drill wildcat well 6407/3-1 S where Statoil Petroleum AS is the operator.