Aker BP Makes Minor Oil and Gas Discovery in Norwegian Sea

Norwegian oil and company Aker BP has made a minor oil and gas discovery in the Norwegian Sea.

According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Aker BP ASA, as the operator of the production licence 127 C, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6607/12-4 and appraisal well 6607/12-4 A.

The wells were drilled about 7 kilometers northeast of the 6607/12-2 S (Alve Nord) gas and oil discovery in the northern part of the Norwegian Sea and 200 kilometres west of Brønnøysund.

The primary exploration target for well 6607/12-4 was to prove petroleum in reservoir rocks from the Jurassic/Triassic Age (the Garn, Ile, Tofte, Tilje and Åre Formations). The secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in reservoir rocks from the Early Cretaceous Age (the Lange Formation).

In the primary exploration target, the well encountered a total gas column of 80 meters in the Garn, Not and Ile Formations, 45 meters of which in sandstone layers with poor reservoir quality. In the other formations from the Jurassic/Triassic Age, the sandstone layers are aquiferous with moderate to poor reservoir quality.

In the secondary exploration target, the well encountered oil in three reservoir zones in the Lange Formation. In the upper zone, oil was encountered in a 2-meter sandstone layer with poor to moderate reservoir quality; in the middle zone in a 5-meter sandstone layer with moderate to good reservoir quality and in the lower zone in a 3-meter sandstone layer with poor to moderate reservoir quality. No oil/water contacts were encountered.

Appraisal well

The primary exploration target for the appraisal well 6607/12-4 A was to delineate a potential discovery in well 6607/12-4 in Jurassic/Triassic reservoir rocks. The exploration target was abandoned due to poorer than expected reservoir properties in the Jurassic/Triassic. The exploration target was then changed to delineate the oil discovery that was proven in reservoir rocks from the Early Cretaceous Age (the Lange Formation), the NPD said.

Well 6607/12-4 A encountered oil in three reservoir zones in the Lange Formation, as was the case in wildcat well 6607/12-4. In the upper zone, oil was encountered in a 4-meter sandstone layer with poor to moderate reservoir quality, in the middle zone in a 6-metre sandstone layer with moderate to good reservoir quality and in the lower zone in a 4-metre sandstone layer with poor to moderate reservoir quality. No oil/water contacts were encountered.

Size estimate

Preliminary estimates of the size of the gas/oil discovery in the Jurassic/Triassic are between 0.5 and 1 million standard cubic meters (Sm³) of recoverable oil equivalent. The oil discovery proven in the Lower Cretaceous is between 1 and 2.7 million standard cubic meters (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalent within production license 127 C. According to NPD, the oil discovery may be an extension of the 6608/10-17 S (Cape Vulture) oil and gas discovery from 2017.

"The licensees will assess the results of the gas/oil discovery alongside the 6607/12-2 S (Alve Nord) discovery, while the oil discovery will be evaluated in connection with nearby discoveries in the area for further follow-up," NPD said.

The wells were drilled by Odfjell Drilling's Deepsea Nordkapp semi-submersible drilling rig. The offshore rig will now move to the production license 203 in the North Sea to drill production wells on the Alvheim field, where Aker BP ASA is the operator.

Credit: NPD