Equinor moves ahead with exploration efforts after drilling dry hole in Norwegian Sea

Equinor Energy AS is moving to drill new exploration wells after coming up dry in the North Sea. 

The operator drilled a dry hole on the Lit prospect in North Sea production license (PL) 169 and has been granted a drilling permit by the Norwegian Offshore Directorate for an exploration well in Norwegian Sea PL 094.  

Dry well

Wildcat well 25/11-30 S was drilled on PL 169 about 9 km from Balder field in the southern part of Svalin field in the central part of the North Sea.

The well was drilled in 122 m of water by the Deepsea Atlantic to about 1,808 m TVD subsea. It was terminated in the Lista formation in the Late Palaeocene. The well was drilled to 2,606 m MD.

The objective was to prove petroleum in Odin sandstone belonging to the Balder formation in Palaeocene to Early Eocene. The well did not encounter sandstone in the Balder formation as planned. The well did encounter the Frigg formation from the Early Eocene. The sandstone in the Frigg formation was about 3 m thick and had very good reservoir quality.

There were no traces of hydrocarbons. The well is classified as dry and has been plugged.

New wells

Deepsea Atlantic is now drilling wildcat well 34/6-8 S in North Sea PL 554 where Equinor is operator.

Equinor also plans to drill exploration well 6506/12-PB-3 H in PL 094 in the Norwegian Sea. The well will be drilled by the Transocean Encourage semisubmersible rig.