Statoil Makes Minor Gas Discovery in North Sea

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate announced Thursday that Statoil Petroleum AS has made a minor gas discovery at wildcat well 30/9-28 S, near the Oseberg field in the North Sea.

Well 30/9-28 S encountered a gas column of approximately 65 feet, of which 32 feet were situated in sandstone with good reservoir quality in the Tarbert formation. The well also encountered a 39 foot gas column in the Statfjord group in sandstone with moderate reservoir quality.

A preliminary estimation of the size of the discovery is between 35 million and 70 million cubic feet of recoverable oil equivalents. The discovery will be considered for development as part of the Oseberg Future Phase 2 project. This is the 24th exploration well drilled in production licence 104.

The well, which was drilled to a measured depth of 13,395 feet by the Songa Delta (mid-water semisub), will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.