By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Apr. 8 -- Statoil started gas production from its 2009 Beta West discovery 1½ km west of the main Sleipner West reservoir in the North Sea.
The discovery well 15/9-B-1 was drilled to a vertical depth of 3,760 m (measured depth of 6,069 m) from the Sleipner B wellhead platform in Sleipner West and encountered hydrocarbons in a sandstone unit of the Hugin formation. Water depth at Sleipner B is 108 m.
Statoil estimates that Beta West holds an estimated 80 million boe and will boost production from Sleipner B by about 15,000 boe/d.
Although Beta West contains oil, Statoil determined from the results of five appraisal wells that the oil could not be recovered.
Sleipner West lies in Norway's Blocks 15/6 and 15/9 and production of gas and condensate from the field began in August 1996.
Operator Statoil hold a 58.35% interest in the Sleipner West. Partners are ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Norway AS 32.24%, and Total E&P Norge AS 9.41%.
Rendering from Cedar LNG.
US Government Accountability Office.
