Exploration

15/01/2014 The level of activity on the Norwegian Shelf was high in 2013, and 20 new discoveries were made, seven more than in 2012. Seven of the discoveries were made in the North Sea, eight in the Norwegian Sea and five in the Barents Sea.

The resources proven included between 50-106 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of oil and 30- 58 billion Sm3 of recoverable gas.

59 exploration wells were spudded – 17 more than last year – and 59 were completed. 45 of the spudded wells are wildcat wells and 14 are appraisal wells. Statoil spudded 24 exploration wells in 2013, which makes it the operating company that drilled the most wells. Lundin followed with 15 and Wintershall with eight.

The North Sea

All seven discoveries in the North Sea are small.

In the southern part of these waters, near the border with Denmark, Dong made a minor oil/gas discovery in Jurassic reservoir rocks in wildcat well 3/7-8 S, south of the Trym field.

The greatest exploration activity took place in the area around the Utsira High in the central part of the North Sea. Like the previous year, this activity has mainly revolved around defining the Johan Sverdrup discovery, proven in 2010. Two oil discoveries were also made in this area. Lundin proved a 45-meter oil column in Jurassic to Triassic reservoir rocks. More drilling will be required to fully delimit the discovery.

On the Utsira High itself, Statoil made a minor oil discovery in well 6/2-18 S in weathered/fractured basement rocks. This discovery is located northwest of the Johan Sverdrup discovery.

In the western part of this area, the Ivar Aasen field, operated by Det norske oljeselskap, is delimited by well 16/1-16 A. This well was drilled by Wintershall in the neighbouring licence, and proved additional resources in Jurassic reservoir rocks in the field now being developed.

Further north, near the Grane field, Statoil proved oil in well 25/11-27 in the Heimdal formation from the Paleocene Age. In the south-western part of the Oseberg area, a minor gas discovery was made in well 30/11-9 S in the lower part of the Heather formation in the Upper Jurassic and in the Tarbert formation in the Middle Jurassic. A small gas discovery was made in wildcat well 34/8-15 S, north-east of the Visund field in the northern North Sea. A 24-metre oil column was proven in well 34/7-H-2 in the Cook formation from the Early Jurassic, between the Vigdis and Snorre fields in the same area. Further to the east in the Gjøa area in the North Sea, the Skarfjell discovery, proven in 2012 by Wintershall, was delimited by well 35/9-8. The discovery was formation-tested, and estimates now place the size at between 10-25 million Sm3 of recoverable oil equivalents. The discovery will be further delimited.

The Norwegian Sea

Eight discoveries were made in the Norwegian Sea in drilling activities near existing fields. In the southern part of the area, just west of the Norne field, Statoil made two oil discoveries in well 6407/8-6 S and in well 6407/8-A, which was drilled as a sidetrack. Further west in this area, Norske Shell proved minor gas volumes in well 6406/9-3 in the Ile formation from the Middle Jurassic. This well is located near the Linnorm discovery, operated by the same company.

Three discoveries were made in the Åsgard area. Wintershall made two minor discoveries in the southern part of the area. Well 6407/1-6 S proved gas/condensate in the Lange formation from the Cretaceous. There is great uncertainty regarding the size of the discovery, and the plan is to delimit the discovery in 2014. A minor gas discovery was made in the Garn formation in the Middle Jurassic in well 6406/6-3. In the northern part of the area, Statoil proved a 40-metre column of gas/condensate at the same level in well 6506/9-3.

Statoil has made two minor discoveries to the north in this area. South of the Alve field, a small oil discovery was proven in well 6507/3-10 in the Garn formation from the Middle Jurassic. In well 6608/10-15 north-east of the Norne field, the company proved oil in the Melke formation in the Upper Jurassic and in the Åre formation in the Early Jurassic.

An exploration well was drilled in the Norwegian Sea in the less-explored areas north-west of the Norne field. Well 6608/2-1 S, drilled by RWE Dea, was terminated in the Late Cretaceous (the Shetland group) without reaching the drilling target in the Fangst group in the Middle Jurassic.

The Barents Sea

Five discoveries were made in the Barents Sea in 2013. In the area near the Johan Castberg discovery, Statoil made three minor discoveries in the drilling campaign that started with well 7220/5-2 (Nunatak). This well proved minor gas volumes in the Knurr formation in the Cretaceous in a very poor reservoir with high water saturation. The following well, 7219/8-2 (Iskrystall), also proved gas in the Stø formation in the Jurassic. The last well, 7220/7-2 S (Skavl), which was recently completed, proved oil and gas in the Tubåen formation in the Jurassic and oil in the Fruholmen formation in the Triassic.

North of the Snøhvit field, Lundin proved oil in well 7120/1-3 (Gohta) in the Røye formation from the Permian. The discovery was made in limestone rocks. Mobile oil has not previously been encountered in these types of rocks on the Norwegian side of the Barents Sea.

Further north in the Barents Sea, Total delimited the 7225/3-1 (Norvarg) discovery, proven in 2011, with appraisal well 7225/3-2. Hydrocarbons were proven in the Kobbe formation in the Triassic, and a full-scale formation-test was performed. The results from this test have decreased the resource base, as well as the initial expectations regarding the size of this discovery.

The northernmost discovery in the Barents Sea was made in well 7324/8-1 (Wisting Central) by OMV. The well, located about 310 km from Hammerfest, proved a 50-60 metre oil column in a shallow level in the Realgrunnen group in the Jurassic. The discovery was made in an area that has not been greatly explored (Hoop). The drilling results in 2013 in the Barents Sea show that the area holds several interesting play models.

Recoverable resources in new discoveries 2013. Preliminary resource figures: low-middle-high estimate.

Updated: 15/01/2014

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