Wellesley Petroleum AS and Faroe Petroleum PLC have spudded the Goanna exploration well 39/9-22 S on PL 881, targeting a structural and stratigraphic prospect of Upper Jurassic Munin formation sandstones.
The Goanna license is in the northern part of the Norwegian North Sea near the UK border and adjacent to the giant producing Statfjord and Snorre fields, which offer potential for alternative export routes, Faroe says. The Goanna prospect straddles the border between PL 881 and PL 037.
The well is being drilled by the Deepsea Bergen semisubmersible drilling rig.
License PL881 is operated by Wellesley with 70% interest, with Faroe holding the remaining 30%. It was awarded earlier this year as part of Norway’s Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2016 licensing round (OGJ Online, Jan. 17, 2017).
Graham Stewart, Faroe chief executive, commented, “Our rolling exploration program continues with the Iris-Hades (Aerosmith) exploration well and Fogelberg appraisal well scheduled for the end of the year and the beginning of 2018, taking advantage of low drilling costs and Norwegian tax incentives."
