Aker BP ASA expects to downgrade resource estimates of its 2019 North Sea Liatarnet (25/2-21) oil discovery after drilling appraisal well 25/2-22 S (OGJ Online, July 23, 2019).
While the operator’s resource estimate prior to the appraisal was 13-32 million std cu m recoverable oil, it is too early to give an updated discovery estimate, the company said in a Sept. 1 release.
The well, the tenth in production license (PL) 442, was drilled about 40 km northeast of Alvheim field in 111 m of water by the Deepsea Nordkapp drilling facility to 1,767 m vertical and 1,772 m measured depth below sea level. It was terminated in rocks from the Oligocene/Eocene age (the Hordaland group).
The primary exploration objective was to take liquid samples to clarify quality of the oil proven in the Skade formation in well 25/2-21. The secondary objective was to collect geological information on formation strengths and to prove the oil-water contact.
The well encountered 31 m within the same reservoir interval as well 25/2-21 with extremely good porosity and moderate permeability. The uppermost 5 m contain traces of oil. Estimated oil saturations and liquid samples collected in the reservoir interval indicate that the oil in the well cannot be produced. The oil-water contact was not encountered.
The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out. The well has been plugged.
Deepsea Nordkapp will proceed to the Alvheim area to drill a development well in Aker BP-operated PL 150.
Aker BP is operator at PL 442 (90.26%) with partner LOTOS Exploration and Production Norge AS (9.74%).