BP has made a gas discovery off Norway on a wildcat well near its Skarv development.
According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, the firm’s wildcat well 12.4miles north of the Skarv field found gas in the Lysing formation.
Preliminary estimates suggest there could be 1.2-2.3billion standard cubic metres of recoverable gas in place.
The NPD said BP and its partners on the licence would now evaluate the discovery.
It was drilled to a total vertical depth of 9,589ft below the sea surface, in 1,197ft of water.
It was drilled by the Polar Pioneer semi-submersible drilling ship and has now been plugged and abandoned.
The Polar Pioneer is due to continue pre-drilling production wells on the Skarv field, due on stream in the fourth quarter.