Harbour Energy-led consortium confirms natural gas discovery in Norwegian North Sea
(WO) – According to a statement from the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, the joint venture between Harbour Energy, Aker BP and Sval Energi confirmed a natural gas discovery in well 15/9-25 in the North Sea.
The Directorate reported that the discovery has been proven in two other exploration wells previously. First gas was proven in 1982 and 2011 in wells16/7-2 and 16/7-10. Awarded in 2021, 15/9-25 is the first well in production license 1138.
The overall gas volume is estimated between 1 and 3 million standard cubic meter of oil equivalent (MMcmoe).
The well was drilled using the Noble Integrator rig northeast of the Sleipner area, about 210 km west of Stavanger. The Harbour Energy-led joint venture is now considering the feasability of tying the confirmed gas discovery into existing nearby infrastructure.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate reported"
- The well’s exploration target was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic and Triassic reservoir rocks in the Hugin and Skagerrak formations.
- The next exploration target was to delineate gas proven in wells 16/7-2 and 16/7-10 in reservoir rocks in the Ty Formation from the Palaeocene.
- Well 15/9-25 encountered a 22 m thick layer of aquiferous sand with very good reservoir quality in the Hugin Formation in the Vestland Group. In the Ty Formation, the well encountered a 10-m gas column in a 118 m thick sandstone reservoir with very good reservoir quality. The gas/water contact was encountered 2330 m below sea level, which confirms the contact encountered in nearby wells.
- The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling were carried out.
- Well 15/9-25 was drilled to a measured depth of 2872 m below sea level, and was terminated in the Smith Bank Formation in the Upper Triassic.
Lead image: Noble Integrator rig, formerly Maersk Integrator. (Photo: Maersk)
