Nine wells are currently active on the NCS, six exploration and three appraisal. Five are North Sea, while the Norwegian and Barents Sea account for two each.
There are 18 development/production wells in operation, three in the Norwegian Sea, one in the Barents Sea and 14 North Sea.
There are 33 mobile rigs on the NCS . . . eight are on E&A duties and 18 on D&P. The remaining nine are variously awaiting contract, mobilising between drilling locations or being used for accommodation.
Of the five currently active North Sea wells, the most recent start is RWE’s 35/9-11 A side-track. The initial well 35/9-11 S was completed mid-month by the Leiv Eriksson, which had mobilised from Total’s successful well on the Trell prospect due east of Heimdal.
Another successful well, 34/10-54 A, this time for Statoil on the Rav prospect, was completed at the start of the month by the Transocean Leader.
On the adjacent quadrant, Songa Trym continues drilling for Statoil well 35/11-17 on the F-West prospect, between the Fram East and West fields.
Elsewhere in the North Sea, Centrica is pushing ahead with side-tracking well 8/10-5 A on the Butch East prospect using the Maersk Giant.
Two wells are active on Quad 16 where the COSL Innovator is nearing completion of Lundin’s operated Edvard Grieg appraisal 16/1-18, and Ocean Vanguard is on the verge of completing side-track 16/2-19 A, which is perhaps Statoil’s final Johan Sverdrup appraisal, following the completion of initial well 16/2-19 S at the beginning of the month.
Also on Quad 16, Bredford Dolphin completed Lundin-operated well 16/3-8 S, and side-track 16/3-8 A, so finishing appraisal work on the eastern margin of Johan Sverdrup.
Here the Transocean Arctic has recently finished testing well 6406/12-3 S on the VNG-operated Pil prospect, touted as perhaps the largest discovery of the year thus far. Sidetrack 6406/12-3 B has been started to evaluate the lateral extent of the find, following which a further sidetrack is likely to target the nearby Bue prospect.
The Borgland Dolphin has completed drilling appraisal side-track well 6407/1-7 A on the Wintershall-operated Solberg discovery. Delineation of Rodriguez discovery well 6407/1-6 has shown that the two discoveries are not in communication.
On the Dønna Terrace, well 6608/10-16 was spudded on the Verdante prospect by the Bredford Dolphin.
Statoil is still drilling its Drivis prospect south of Johan Castberg’s Havis structure with the West Hercules, while OMV has spudded its most recent Barents Sea exploration probe, well 7324/7-2 with the Transocean Barents on the Wisting Main structure. The rig had come from GDF Suez’s well 7218/8-1 duster drilled on the Byrkje Prospect (Veslemøy High).
Q2 is looking good so far with ample activity. Several large discoveries have been made on the NCS in recent months and this, coupled with the imminent completion of appraisal work on Johan Sverdrup, assures exciting times ahead for many Norwegian players.
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