A group led by a unit of Lundin Petroleum AB has discovered Cretaceous oil in the northern North Sea 65 km northwest of Snorre field offshore Norway but said the thinness and uncertain distribution of the reservoir do not give basis for resource estimation at present.
Lundin Norway AS’s 6201/11-3 exploratory well went to 2,975 m in 382 m of water on the Albert prospect in PL519. Its main objectives were to test Cretaceous and Triassic age sandstones of a multiple target structure.
The well encountered oil in thin Cretaceous reservoir sequence at the predicted level for the primary target. A minor column of movable hydrocarbons was found in a Palaeocene secondary target.
Further geophysical and geological studies are required to clarify the discovery’s potential. The Triassic secondary reservoir was tight without movable hydrocarbons.
Ashley Heppenstall, Lundin Petroleum president and chief executive officer, said, “The existence of oil bearing Cretaceous reservoir in the Albert well is encouraging. In the event we can find thicker Cretaceous reservoir sections over this large structure there remains potential for commercial discoveries in this area.”
Wintershall will take over the Bredford Dolphin semisubmersible to drill one well before it returns to drill an appraisal well on Lundin Petroleum’s Johan Sverdrup discovery in PL501.
Lundin Petroleum is operator of PL519 with 40% interest. Bayerngas Norge AS, Norwegian Energy Co. ASA, and Spring Energy have 20% each.
