StatoilHydro Drills Duster at Bjork

StatoilHydro says drilling operations have been completed at the wildcat well 6608/8-2 in the Bjork prospect north of the Norne field. No hydrocarbons were proven in the well.

StatoilHydro is operator for production license 352, the Bjork prospect in block 6608, 33 kilometers north of the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea.

The well did not reveal hydrocarbons and has been classified as dry but several reservoir zones were discovered in Cretaceous rocks. This was the first well in PL 352 which was awarded in the APA of 2004. The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 2,809 meters below sea level and was terminated in Triassic rocks. The well has now been plugged and abandoned.

"The Bjørk prospect has been defined as an exciting drilling target for quite some time," says Orjan Birkeland, StatoilHydro's exploration vice president for infrastructure in the north.

"We had hoped to find oil in Cretaceous sandstone," says Mr. Birkeland.

"The sandstone rocks were well-developed but unfortunately did not contain hydrocarbons. The operation was carried out in a safe, efficient and environmentally acceptable manner. The results from the well will now be used to gain a better understanding of the exploration model."

The well, 6608/8-2, was drilled by the Ocean Vanguard in 337 meters of water. The rig is now to go to a shipyard for a classification survey.

The licensees in PL 352 are StatoilHydro as operator with 70 %; and Dong E&P Norge AS with 30%.