Aker BP makes North Sea oil, gas discovery
Aker BP has confirmed an oil and gas discovery with a gross resource estimate of 60-130 million boe from the Froskelar Main exploration well in licence 869 in the North Sea’s Alvheim area.
The nearby 24/9-3 (Gamma) oil discovery can be viewed as being part of this discovery, and part of the discovery may extend over to the UK sector. The licensees will consider tying the discovery into existing infrastructure in the Alvheim area.
Wells 24/9-14 S and 24/9-14 A were drilled by Saipem’s Scarabeo 8 semi-submersible drilling rig about four kilometres north-west of Boyla field and 225 kilometres west of Stavanger in 120 metres of water.
Well 24/9-14 A was drilled 2,650 metres north-east of wildcat well 24/9-14 S. The wells have been plugged.
The objective of well 24/9-14 S was to prove petroleum and the reservoir potential in reservoir rocks in the Eocene (Intra Hordaland group sandstones).
The objective of well 24/9-14 A was to investigate the lateral extent and the reservoir potential of the injectites.
Wildcat well 24/9-14 S, drilled to respective vertical and measured depths of 2,097 and 2,252 metres subsea, was terminated in the Sele formation in the Palaeocene.
It encountered a 30-metre gas column and 38-metre oil column in the Hordaland group in sandstone layers totalling 35 metres, mainly with very good-to-excellent reservoir properties.
The sandstones are interpreted as being remobilised sand from the Heimdal and Hermod formations in the Palaeocene, which are injected into the overlying Hordaland group.
The gas-oil contact was observed in the well. The oil-water contact was not observed, as the logs showed oil down to the situation.
Appraisal well 24/9-14 A was drilled horizontally in the Hordaland group in the Eocene to vertical and measured depths of 1,847 and 4,398 metres subsea, respectively. It encountered several gas-bearing and oil-bearing injectite zones totalling 540 metres, with many sandstone layers with variable reservoir properties, mainly from good to excellent.
The sandstone layers are interpreted as being injected sands in the Hordaland group with variable quality and thickness.
The gas-oil and oil-water contacts are as with the wildcat well.
The wells were not formation-tested, but extensive volumes of data have been acquired and samples have been taken.
These are the first and second exploration wells in production licence 869.
Scarabeo 8 will now drill a combined wildcat and test production well, 24/9-15 S, in BP-operated production licence 340.
Aker BP is operator with 60%. Partners are Lundin Norway 20% and Var Energi 20%.
Source: Oil & Gas Journal