These are Norway’s latest successes in what is becoming an excellent year for offshore NW Europe.
The tally of sizeable North Sea discoveries this year is starting to mount, with two large fresh finds just added to the encouraging tally. This time the finds are in the Norwegian sector, with Lundin reporting a major oil find and RWE Dea signalling a sizeable gas strike.
It was indicated in the September issue of Energy that Lundin has ambitious plans for the Norwegian sector. Judging by the result of the company’s 16/2-6 exploration well on the Avaldsnes prospect, that new developments list has just grown.
Lundin said the well was drilled to a total measured depth of 2,132m (6,995ft) and is located approximately 25km (15miles) east of the company’s Luno field which is in the early stage of development.
The well was drilled by the Transocean Winner rig on the flank of a large structure and has proven an oil column of 17m of “excellent quality sandstone of Jurassic age”.
A comprehensive coring and logging programme has been carried out and Lundin said production tests confirmed excellent reservoir characteristics, with the well flowing at a restricted production rate of some 5,000 barrels per day of good quality oil.
Avaldsnes is already estimated to contain recoverable resources of 100-400million barrels oil equivalent, though the company said further appraisal wells will be required to fully delineate the structure. More wells are therefore planned for 2011.
Ashley Heppenstall, president and CEO at Lundin, said: “The Avaldsnes discovery is a major milestone for Lundin Petroleum and has confirmed our view that following the Luno discovery additional hydrocarbons would be found in the Greater Luno Area.
“The well has proven the migration of hydrocarbons to the eastern side of the Utsira High which is very positive. We have found at Avaldsnes excellent reservoir quality within a large mapped structure and as a result the potential resources are larger than our pre-drill estimates. The discovery well will result in further additional exploration potential in the Greater Luno Area.”
Lundin has now moved the Transocean Winner to drill an exploration well on its Apollo prospect.
Block 16/2 stakeholders comprise Lundin with a 40% interest, Statoil with 40% and Maersk 20%.
Turning to the RWE Dea find, this was made on block 6507/7 in the Norwegian Sea, northwest of the Heidrun field on the Halten Terrace.
The Zidane-1 discovery well (6507/7-14S) was drilled using the semi-submersible Bredford Dolphin in a location just 15km (eight miles) northwest of Heidrun and 35km (25miles) south of the Skarv field.
RWE Dea said that its primary objective for the well was to prove hydrocarbons in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Fangst group), and the secondary objective was to prove hydrocarbons in Lower Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Tilje formation).
The well encountered a 150m (500ft) column of gas and preliminary estimates of the size of the discovery range 176.6-635.7billion.cu.ft of recoverable gas. The company thinks there is a good possibility of finding more hydrocarbons in the area.
Comprehensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out, and a successful drillstem test was performed.
The test produced 42.38 million cu.ft per day of gas on a 36/64-inch choke. Oil is also present. RWE Dea is already looking at producing this undoubtedly commercial find using existing infrastructure.
Zidane-1 was drilled to a total vertical depth of 4,477m (14,689ft) below the sea surface, and it was terminated in the Tilje formation in the Lower Jurassic.
The well has been permanently plugged and abandoned and the rig has moved on to a location in the Norwegian North Sea to drill exploration well 35/9-6S for RWE Dea.
Partners in the new gas find comprise: RWE Dea with a 40% interest, Noreco – 20%, Maersk – 20% and Edison International – 20%.