Vår Energi intensifies NCS exploration following offshore oil discovery in mature area of North Sea
(WO) – Vår Energi confirmed an offshore oil discovery in the Balder area in the Central North Sea.
The latest Ringhorne North exploration well in PL 956 was successful with estimated recoverable resources of between 13 and 23 MMbbl of oil.
Operator Vår Energi considers the discovery a potential commercial candidate to be tied into nearby existing infrastructure in the Balder area.
Vår Energi COO Torger Rød said, “The discovery proves that there are still opportunities in the mature areas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, and I’m glad to see that our near-field exploration strategy is paying off. We believe there is more value to be unlocked in the Balder area, and we are intensifying exploration activities to maximize value creation from the existing infrastructure.
The Ringhorne North discovery adds to an already impressive exploration track record. Over the past five years, Vår Energi has had a discovery rate of over 50%, with costs of less than $1 per bbl post tax.
Vår Energi EVP Exploration & Production, Rune Oldervoll, said, “Our exploration portfolio is the basis to unlock and create future value. We are among the largest license holders on the NCS with roughly 200 licenses. Our commitment to explore for further resources remains firm. We have a highly experienced team, and we are also leveraging the expertise of Eni, our major shareholder, one of the most successful explorers globally.
The offshore oil discovery supports plans for continuous development of the Balder area as a long-term production hub in the North Sea.
In addition to unlocking new resources and proving the northern extension of the Ringhorne field, the Ringhorne North oil discovery also de-risks more drillable prospects in the area and opens up potential development synergies with other nearby Vår Energi operated discoveries such as King-Prince and Evra-Iving.
Oldervoll added, “The reserves and resource base in the Balder area has been steadily growing for decades and we are convinced it will continue to do so in decades to come. We are positioned to produce high value, low emission barrels for a long time – and the latest Ringhorne North discovery is underpinning our long-term production targets.”
The Ringhorne North offshore exploration well and two additional side-track/appraisal wells were drilled by the semi-submersible rig Deepsea Yantai in the Central North Sea, 8 km north of the Vår Energi operated Ringhorne field, about 200 km northwest of Stavanger.
The license partners are Vår Energi ASA (operator) 50%, Aker BP ASA 20%, Harbour Energy Norge AS 15% and Sval Energi AS 15%.
