Statoil Makes Gas Find Offshore Norway

Statoil Petroleum AS has made a gas discovery through wildcat well 6507/3-12 and appraisal well 6507/3-12 A offshore Norway, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate confirmed Friday.

The wells were drilled about 4 miles east of the Alve field in the northern part of the Norwegian Sea. Well 6507/3-12 encountered a total gas column of about 22 feet in a Late Cretaceous sandstone layer with good reservoir properties.

Well 6507/3-12 A was stopped due to technical issues regarding presumed gas-filled sandstone, and no further attempts were made to drill the appraisal well.

Preliminary estimations place the size of the discovery between one and five billion standard cubic metres of recoverable gas. The licensees will assess the discovery along with other nearby discoveries/prospects with regard to a possible development.

Well 6507/3-12 was drilled to a vertical depth of 11,246 feet below the sea surface, and was terminated in the Tofte formation in the Early Jurassic. Well 6507/3-12 A was drilled to a vertical depth of 8,297 feet below the sea surface and was terminated in the Springar or Nise formation in the Late Cretaceous.

The wells will be permanently plugged and abandoned.