Lundin drilling focus on Barents Sea, Edvard Grieg
Lundin Petroleum has issued an update on its exploration and development drilling programmes offshore Norway.
The company has chartered Ocean Rig’s semi-submersible Leiv Eiriksson for a flexible term with multiple well option slots. Lundin currently plans to deploy the rig for all its operated wells in the southern Barents Sea through 2018.
Lundin Petroleum has a similar arrangement with COSL Offshore Management’s semi-sub COSL Innovator for a program in the Utsira High area of the North Sea next year.
The rig will drill appraisal wells at Luno II in licence PL359 and at Rolvsnes in PL338C, both potential subsea tiebacks to the Edvard Grieg facilities. Drilling should start during the first quarter of 2018.
Lundin is also participating in the current Hufsa wildcat and a subsequent well on the Hurri prospect, both in the Barents Sea. Combined net prospective resources targeted are 175 MMboe.
In September, a large, high-spec 3D seismic survey finished over Lundin’s Alta, Gohta, and Filicudi discoveries and associated prospects in this region. Results should be available in the first half of 2018.
In April, the Edvard Grieg Southwest appraisal well 16/1-27 encountered a 15-metre (49-foot) gross oil column, with results suggesting resources in the range of 10-30 MMboe.
Lundin sees potential upside in other areas of the Grieg field. It has since optimised the full-field development, with the same number of planned wells and one production well and one water injection well to access the southwest area of the field.
The fourth Grieg water injector is currently drilling in this part of the field and should be completed by year-end. So far, ten of the 14 development wells have been completed with drilling set to continue until mid-2018.
However, due to the strong reservoir performance the company is assessing infill drilling opportunities which could end up expanding the 2018 drilling programme.
Capacity testing of the Grieg facilities has confirmed that they can produce at rates 15% above design levels at 145,000 b/d combined from Grieg and the Aker BP-operated Ivar Aasen field.