The OMV AG-operated Wisting Alternative well 7324/7-1S on PL537 in the Barents Sea offshore Norway has found oil shows in two poor quality reservoirs but has “provided important information about the regional geology,” said partner Tullow Oil PLC.
OMV used the Leiv Eiriksson semisubmersible to drill Wisting Alternative to 2,452 m in 413 m of water 315 km north of Hammerfest.
The well was not appraising the 2013 major light oil discovery at Wisting Central 5 km southeast on a separate structure, but it encountered oil shows in the deeper targeted Kobbe and Snadd formations (OGJ Online, Sept. 6, 2013).
Extensive data acquisition and sampling has been carried out, and the well will be plugged and abandoned. The group will continue evaluating the Wisting Central discovery and understanding the regional geology.
Interests in PL537 are OMV (Norge) 25%, Tullow, Idemitsu, and Petoro 20% each, and Statoil 15%.
Angus McCoss, Tullow exploration director, said, “Wisting Alternative was a high risk wildcat well which has provided important information about the regional geology in the Barents Sea.
“The material Wisting Central oil field, discovered in the same license in September this year, will now be prioritized for appraisal in 2014 alongside our significant program of high impact wells that includes the operated Mantra well which is due to spud in November.”
