Equinor makes significant discovery near Fram field

Equinor Energy AS and partners discovered oil in the North Sea three km south-west of Fram field and 11 km northwest of Troll field.

The discovery – the largest so far this year on the Norwegian continental shelf – is considered commercially viable with preliminary estimates of recoverable oil equivalent of 12-19 million standard cu m (75-120 million boe) and will be considered for tie-in to other discoveries and existing infrastructure in the area.

Blasto prospect exploration wells 31/2-22 S and 31/2-22 A – the first and second in production licences 090, 090 I, and 090 E – were drilled 120 km north-west of Bergen by the West Hercules semi-submersible drilling rig in 349 m of water.

Well 31/2-22 S was drilled to a vertical depth of 2,282 m and measured depth of 2,379 m subsea. It was terminated in the Heather formation from the Middle Jurassic age. The primary exploration target was to prove petroleum in the Sognefjord formation from the Late Jurassic Age. The secondary target was to investigate reservoir properties in the Fensfjord formation from the Middle Jurassic Age.

The well encountered a total oil column of 30 m in the upper part of Sognefjord, 25 m of which was sandstone with very good reservoir quality. It also encountered an oil column of 50 m in the lower part of Sognefjord, about 40 m of which was sandstone with good to very good reservoir quality.

The oil-water contacts were proven at 1,860 m and 1,960 m subsea, respectively. The well encountered 65 m of sandstone in the Fensfjord formation, with moderate to good reservoir quality.

Well 31/2-22 A was drilled to a vertical depth of 2,035 m and measured depth of 2,207 m subsea. It was terminated in the lower part of the Sognefjord formation. Its primary exploration target was to prove petroleum in the Sognefjord formation in the neighbouring structure west of 31/2-22 S.

The well encountered 55 m of water-bearing sandstone with good to very good reservoir quality in the upper part of Sognefjord and about 25 m of water-bearing sandstone with poor to good reservoir quality in the lower part of Sognefjord. The well is classified as dry.

The wells were not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling were carried out. The wells have been permanently plugged.

The West Hercules will now drill wildcat well 34/6-5 S in Equinor-operated PL554 in the northern North Sea.

Equinor is operator in PL090 (45%) with partners Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS (15%), Neptune Energy Norge AS (15%), and Vår Energi AS (25%).

Source: Oil & Gas Journal