Equinor classifies Barents Sea Deimos prospect as dry

Equinor Energy AS has plugged the Deimos prospect exploration well in the Barents Sea.

Well 7117/4-1 was drilled in production license 1238, 135 km west of Snøhvit field and 260 km northwest of Hammerfest by the COSL Prospector rig to a vertical depth of 2,511 m subsea, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate detailed in a release Sept. 1.

The well was terminated in the Torsk formation in the Middle Eocene. Water depth at the site is 283 m.

This well, the first one drilled in the license, is classified as dry. The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition was undertaken.

Geological information

The well's primary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Eocene reservoir rocks in the Torsk formation. The well's secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Palaeocene reservoir rocks in the lower Torsk formation.

Operational challenges associated with unusually high pressure in the Eocene part of the Torsk formation resulted in a technical sidetrack.

The well did not encounter reservoir rocks in the primary exploration target in the Torsk formation. The secondary exploration target in the Torsk formation was not achieved.

Above the primary exploration target, the well encountered a 4-m sandstone layer with good reservoir quality in the Torsk formation.

Equinor is operator of the license with 55% interest. Partners are Vår Energi ASA (25%) and Petoro AS (20%).