Statoil, operator of production licence 272, has encountered gas and condensate after the completion of the drilling of wildcat well 30/11-13.
The well was drilled eight kilometres southeast of the 30/11-8 S (Krafla) discovery, and about 27 kilometres south of the Oseberg South facility in the North Sea.
The well encountered gas columns at two levels in the top part of the Tarbert formation, a total of 5 and 31 metres, respectively, of which 4 and 22 metres had good to moderate reservoir properties. The secondary exploration target in the Ness formation is aquiferous.
The preliminary estimation of the size of the discovery is between one and three million standard cubic metres of recoverable oil equivalents. The discovery will be included in the evaluation of a new field development along with previous discoveries in the area.
Data has been collected and samples were taken from the well.
Well 30/11-13 was drilled to a vertical depth of 3313 metres below the sea surface and was terminated in the Ness formation.
The well is the fourth exploration well in production licence 272. The licence was awarded in the North Sea Awards in 2001.
Water depth is 106 metres. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.
Well 30/11-13 was drilled by the Songa Delta drilling rig, which will continue the drilling campaign by drilling wildcat well 30/11-14 in the same production licence, where Statoil is the operator.