Statoil to drill well near Norne field

July 17, 2006
Statoil ASA plans early next year to drill another exploration well on the Valkyrie structure near Statoil-operated Norne field in the Norwegian Sea after a wildcat recently drilled on the structure proved to be noncommercial.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, July 17 -- Statoil ASA plans early next year to drill another exploration well on the Valkyrie structure near Statoil-operated Norne field in the Norwegian Sea after a wildcat recently drilled on the structure proved to be noncommercial.

The 6608/11-5 exploration well was drilled to 2,248 m TD before terminating in Triassic rocks. It aimed to prove commercial quantities of hydrocarbons in Lower Jurassic and Upper Triassic sands but encountered only trace amounts. It has been permanently plugged and abandoned.

Jostein Gaasemyr, Norne field operations vice-president, said, "We'll now be going through the well data in order to take a new look at our strategy for the whole area."

Statoil has been considering the possibility for an independent development solution for the Norne area, with a platform supplementing the existing Norne production ship, pending anticipated additional discoveries on Valkyrie (OGJ Online, June 29, 2006).

The formation is about 25 km northeast of Norne in Production License 128, and 2.7 km southeast of the Linerle discovery. Oil was found 2 years ago in the Linerle and Falk structures, and a discovery in Valkyrie would have further strengthened the local resource base.