Scandinavian oil firm Statoil said today it had made its second major discovery in the Barents in nine months. opening up the region as a new core area.
The firm said drilling on the Havis prospect, in partership with ENI and Petoro, had found a 157ft gas column and a 419ft oil column.
Statoil estimated the field, close to the recently-discovered Skrugard in the same licence, could have 200-300million barrels of recoverable oil equivalents (boe) in it.
Between them, Skrugard and Havis could have 400-600million (boe), paving the way for development as a “versatile new centre with processing and transport capacity”, said Statoil.
“We are about to realise the Barents Sea as a core area on the Norwegian continental shelf,” said Erik Strand Tellefsen, vice president for Skrugard development.
Helge Lund, president and chief executive of Statoil, added: “Havis is our second high impact oil discovery in the Barents Sea in nine months.
“The discovery provides further confirmation of Statoil’s faith in the exploration potential of the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), and makes an important contribution to the revitalisation of the NCS in line.
“Statoil has previously communicated that the Skrugard discovery will provide the basis for an independent development, with the Havis volumes the development project becomes even more robust.”
Statoil said it had been exploring in the Barents Sea for more than 30 years and that the company had been involved in 88 of a total 92 exploration wells drilled in the area.
An appraisal well is now due to be drilled on Skrugard, it added.