LUNDIN has made a significant gas find in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea, thanks to its Skalle-1 exploration well.
The company said that well 7120/2-3S had been comprehensively logged and cored.
The well, drilled using the semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Leader, lies 25km north of the Snohvit field in the south-western part of the Barents Sea.
The primary target for the well was to prove hydrocarbons in reservoir rocks from the Cretaceous and Jurassic ages, and gas was proven in three separate zones.
The initial gross contingent resource range for the Skalle discovery is estimated to be around 88-280billion cu ft (15-50million barrels oil equivalent).
According to Lundin, there is potential for a deeper oil leg in the lower Cretaceous reservoir at Skalle, and an upside potential in the Skalle substructures.
Further appraisal is planned.
Skalle is the first exploration well to be drilled on licence PL438, and was drilled to a total vertical depth of some 2,600m (8,531ft) below sea level.
Transocean Leader is scheduled to move to PL265 in the Greater Luno area in the Norwegian North Sea, to drill the Aldous Major South exploration well 16/2-8 on behalf of operator Statoil. Lundin holds a 10% interest in the licence.
The company has also successfully completed the sidetrack well 16/3-4A of the first appraisal well 16/3-4 on the Avaldsnes discovery on licence PL501.
Lundin said a comprehensive data acquisition and sampling programme had been carried out from the from the sidetrack well.
Its objective was to confirm the presence of lateral reservoir continuity and sand quality to the west of the first appraisal well.
The results from the sidetrack show good lateral continuity of the reservoir, with a proved oil column in excess of 4m of “excellent quality” sands.
The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 1,934m (6,345ft) below sea level using the rig Bedford Dolphin.
The rig is scheduled to drill the second appraisal well, 16/2-7, over Avaldsnes.