RWE Confirms Successful Luno Appraisal Test, Field Extension

RWE Dea has confirmed Lundin's announcement that the first Luno appraisal well 16/1-10 located in production license PL 338, offshore the Norwegian North Sea, has been successfully tested. The well was drilled to appraise the Luno field discovered in late 2007 with well 16/1-8. The appraisal well has successfully confirmed the extension of the Luno field to the north east.

The well was tested with a flow rate of approximately 4,000 barrels of oil per day on a 54/64 choke. A comprehensive data acquisition programme including multiple cores was successfully acquired. The results of the appraisal well will now be analysed and subsequently incorporated into a revised resource estimate for the Luno field which was indicated as within a range of 65 mmboe to 190 mmboe gross recoverable following the discovery well.

The appraisal well was drilled with the Bredford Dolphin semisubmersible drilling rig to a total vertical depth of 2,125 meters below sea level in a water depth of 110 meters. PL 338 was awarded in the Norwegian North Sea licensing round in 2004. RWE Dea Norge ASA has a 20 percent interest. Lundin Petroleum is the operator of PL338 with a 50 percent interest and Wintershall Norge ASA (formerly Revus Energy ASA) has a 30 percent interest.

Thomas Rappuhn, COO of RWE Dea said, "We are pleased with the results of this first appraisal well on the Luno field and will now consider potential development options for the Luno field. In addition we look forward to the further appraisal and exploration program to test the additional prospectivity in the Luno area planned for 2009."