There were three exploration well programmes active offshore Norway as of March 31, in addition to which, one was in the process of completing.
A total of seven exploration wells have completed to date in 2021, from which three commercial discoveries have been made with total resources of c. 195 mmboe, giving a 43% commercial success rate to date.
Two appraisal wells were recently suspended pending further operations.
North Sea
Aker BP spudded the Liatarnet appraisal well on March 23 with the Deepsea Nordkapp. The top hole for well was drilled and the well suspended while the rig is moved to the Barents Sea to drill two wells before returning in the summer to complete this well. The well is appraising a play that was discovered in 2019.
On March 18, Equinor spudded the Garantiana West exploration well with the West Hercules semi-submersible. If successful, it is expected to be developed via nearby infrastructure.
On February 18, Chrysaor spudded its first exploration well in Norway with the COSL Innovator semi-submersible, targeting the Jerv prospect. It was announced on March 23 that the well made a gas-condensate discovery. However, the well was classed by partner OKEA as non-commercial.
COSL Innovator then drilled Chrysaor’s second exploration well at the Ilder prospect in the same licence. The 15/12-26 well was spudded on March 28. A discovery would be incorporated into a cluster development of the nearby Grevling and Storskrymten discoveries.
Lundin’s Solveig D exploration well, spudded on February 12, was announced on 26 March as a minor oil discovery. Reservoir quality was moderate to poor and it is currently considered by Westwood to be non-commercial.
Equinor spudded the Blasto exploration well on December 9 and completed it on March 16, making an oil discovery with post-drill resources in the range of 75-120 mmboe. This is the 10th largest discovery in the last decade in Norway. It is expected that Blasto will be developed via tie back to the Troll C facilities.
Following its spud on 27 February with the Deepsea Yantai rig, Neptune announced on March 29 that its appraisal well, the first to be drilled on the Dugong discovery, was successful. Resources in Dugong are now estimated in the range 40-108 mmboe. A development concept has yet to be determined, with both a tie back to nearby infrastructure or standalone development possible options.
Norwegian Sea
Operations continue with Wintershall Dea’s Dvalin North well, which was spudded on February 20 using the Deepsea Aberdeen semi-submersible, c. 6 km north of the Dvalin field. A discovery would be incorporated into the Dvalin field.
Barents Sea
In the Barents Sea, Equinor’s Isflak exploration well completed on March 14. Post-drill resources were reported in the range of 31-50 mmboe. The discovery is located between the Havis and Drivis discoveries which form part of the Johan Castberg development, via which the discovery is expected to be developed.
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