A group led by Statoil Petroleum AS has attributed 18-33 million bbl of recoverable oil to a discovery well on North Sea license 169 B2 about 7 km north of Grane field and 150 km west of Stavanger, Norway.
The 25/11-27 well in the Grane Unit went to 1,865 m in 126 m of water and proved a 20-m oil column in the Heimdal formation. The licensees will consider various development alternatives based on oil quality and pressure communication with surrounding fields.
The well is in the Grane Unit, where Statoil is operator with 36.66% interest. Petoro AS has 28.94%, ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Norway AS 28.22%, and ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS 6.17%.
Statoil noted that about 40% of its 2013 exploratory wells on the Norwegian Continental Shelf will be near-field exploration projects. In addition to the Grane area, these wells will target the Oseberg, Fram/Gjoa, and Tampen areas.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate said the Songa Trym semisubmersible will proceed to Production License 128 in the Norwegian Sea to drill the Statoil-operated 6608/11-8 appraisal well.
