Equinor, DNO study fast-tracking Heisenberg discovery following NCS exploration success
(WO) – DNO ASA announced the completion of an appraisal well and sidetrack that further delineated the 2023 Heisenberg oil and gas discovery in Norwegian North Sea license PL827SB. Heisenberg, a new shallow play in the northern part of the Norwegian North Sea, is now estimated to hold recoverable volumes in the range of 24 to 56 MMboe. Oil-bearing sands were encountered in a deeper secondary target, Hummer.
The license partnership, which includes DNO Norge AS (49%) and operator Equinor Energy AS, is planning a well in the second quarter of this year to explore an additional deep prospect, Angel, while delineating Heisenberg towards the west.
Surrounded by major North Sea hubs Troll B, Kvitebjørn and Gjøa (the first two operated by Equinor), Heisenberg lies within tieback range of these hosts. Studies are underway for fast-track development of Heisenberg in coordination with a string of recent discoveries in this area, in which DNO has a significant presence, including in last year’s Carmen discovery (30%).
“With recent exploration successes, our North Sea portfolio has tilted towards quality discoveries which we now need to rebalance by adding production,” said DNO’s Executive Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani.
In 2023, the company was the third most active exploration driller on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and ranked second in terms of discovered volumes with an estimated 100 MMboe net to DNO.
DNO has prioritized near-infrastructure exploration in areas with clear routes to commercialization of discoveries and has been an early mover in acquiring substantial acreage positions in selected areas which have since become hotspots.
Lead image: Troll B platform (Øyvind Hagen/Equinor)
