A well appraising the 2014 Alta oil discovery in the southern Barents Sea offshore Norway performed better than expected on an extended production test and showed the field can be developed with horizontal wells, reports Lundin Norway AS.
The 7220/11-5 well, on PL609 4 km south of the Alta discovery well, produced 675,000 bbl of oil during a 2-month test (OGJ Online, Apr. 9, 2018).
Lundin tested the well from the Ocean Rig Leiv Eiriksson semisubmersible drilling rig. Produced oil flowed into a tanker for delivery to the Mongstad oil terminal in Norway.
The operator completed a 700-m horizontal section through Permian-Triassic karstified and fractured carbonate, which it called a first on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
The lateral encountered all targeted reservoir intervals.
On test, the well flowed at equipment-limited rates of 7,500 b/d of oil over 30 days and as much as 18,000 b/d during a second period of 25 flowing days.
Alta is the fourth well drilled to appraise the Alta discovery.
Lundin said it will assess results in conjunction with 3D seismic data acquired over Alta and the smaller Gohta discovery on adjacent PL492. Joint development is possible.
Lundin operates PL609 with a 40% working interest. DEA Norge and Idemitsu Petroleum Norge hold 30% interests each.
The Leiv Eiriksson next will drill the 6307/1-1S exploration well on the Silfari prospect in PL830. Lundin called it “a play-opening well on the undrilled Froya High/Raoan basin area of the Norwegian Sea.” Targets are Permian and Jurassic formations.
