Aker BP has made a small gas discovery in the Skarv field complex of the Norwegian Sea. It made the announcement after concluding the drilling of a wildcat well 6506/5-1 S on production licence (PL) 1008.
The well was drilled at a water depth of 409m, approximately 50km southwest of the Skarv field and 210km west of Brønnøysund. It is the first exploration well in PL-1008.
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According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), the well encountered a gas column of around 15m in the Lysing formation, in Upper Cretaceous reservoir rocks. Early analysis suggests 1-2.4 billion standard cubic metres (bcm) of recoverable gas.
In a press statement, the NPD said: “The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out.
“Well 6506/5-1 S was drilled to a measured depth of 3,225 metres and a vertical depth of 3,166 metres below sea level, and it was terminated in the Lange Formation in the Lower Cretaceous.”
Semi-submersible rig Deepsea Nordkapp was used to drill the well. The rig will now drill observation well 25/4-K-7 H on the Aker BP-operated Alvheim field in the central North Sea.
Earlier last month, Aker BP signed a new long-term “smart” maintenance contract for seawater lift pumps with Norwegian engineering company Framo.
In February this year, the Norwegian company received approval from the NPD for the start-up of the Skogul oil field in the North Sea.
