VNG Norge finds oil southwest of Njord field

STAVANGER, Norway -- VNG Norge, operator of production license 586, is in the process of completing the drilling of wildcat wells 6406/12-4 S and 6406/12-4 A.

Well 6406/12-4 S was drilled about 33 km southwest of Njord field, in the southern part of the Norwegian Sea, and about 1.7 km southeast of the Pil discovery well.

The primary exploration target of well 6406/12-4 S was to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic sandstones in a southwestern segment, which is adjacent to the Pil discovery. The well encountered a unit of Upper Jurassic rocks about 590 m thick, 20 m of which are sandstone (the Rogn formation) with good reservoir quality.

Preliminary estimates of the size of the discovery range from two to five million standard cubic meters of recoverable oil equivalents. The licensees will consider the discovery in conjunction with other nearby discoveries as regards a possible future development.

Reservoir rocks

The secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic rocks (sandstone in the Intra Melke formation), the extent, thickness and properties of the reservoir rocks, as well as depth to hydrocarbon contacts. The well encountered 368 m of sandstone, in the Intra Melke formation, of varying quality and with traces of oil.

The objective of well 6406/12-4 A was to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (sandstone in the Intra Spekk and Intra Melke formations) in a southern segment adjacent to the Pil discovery. Well 6406/12-4 A encountered about 20 m of Intra Spekk sandstone and 515 m of reservoir rocks in the Intra Melke formation, both with poor reservoir properties. The reservoir contains only traces of hydrocarbons. The well was classified as dry.

Extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out. These are the fourth and fifth wells to be drilled in production license 586, which was awarded in APA 2010.

Terminated 

6406/12-4 S was drilled to measured and vertical depths of 4,318 m and 3,832 m below sea level, respectively, and was terminated in the Melke formation in the Upper Jurassic.

6406/12-4 A was drilled to measured and vertical depths of 4,058 m and 3,799 m below sea level, respectively, and was terminated in the Melke formation in the Jurassic. Water depth at the site is 319 m.

The wells will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.

The wells were drilled by the Transocean Arctic semisubmersible, which now will drill 6406/12-5 S in a northern segment adjacent to the Pil discovery.