Talisman Energy has hit pay in a wildcat well near the Varg field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) said the find in well 15/12-20 S contains between 690,000 – 1.6m bbl of oil.
Talisman is now planning to fast-track the discovery as a tieback the Varg field infrastructure.
The NPD said the primary target of the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Triassic reservoir rocks, while the secondary exploration target was Upper to Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks. A small oil column was discovered in the secondary target.
The NPD said: “The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data collection and sampling were carried out. The licensees have already decided to produce the discovery via the Varg field from 5 July 2008, following fast-track approval by the authorities.”
Well 15/12-20 S was drilled by the jack-up rig Mærsk Giant, which will now drill a new production well on the Varg field.