Equinor and its partners will evaluate a natural gas discovery made with the Orn exploration well southwest of Marulk field in the Norwegian Sea. The group will now clarify the need for delineation.
Recoverable resources are estimated at 50-88 million boe. The well has been permanently plugged.
Exploration well 6507/2-5, S, the first in production license 942, was drilled 12 km southwest of Marulk field, 38 km southwest of Norne field, and 20 km northwest of Skarv by the West Phoenix drilling rig to a vertical depth of 4,147 m subsea. The well was concluded in the Tilje formation in Early Jurassic rocks. Water depth in the area is 332 m.
The objective of the well was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Garn and Ile formations). In addition, reservoir and fluid data were to be collected from the Lysing formation in the Upper Cretaceous.
The well encountered a total gas column of 40 m in the Garn and Not formations, of which 30 m of sandstones mainly of moderate reservoir quality in the Garn formation and tight sandstones in the Not formation.
The Ile formation is tight and aquiferous. The gas-water contact was not encountered. As expected, the Lysing formation is aquiferous, and data was collected as planned.
In June, Equinor reported the Snadd Outer Outer/Black Vulture oil and gas discoveries southwest of Norne field (OGJ Online, June 17, 2019). Since 2017, Equinor has been operator of or partner in several discoveries in the Norwegian Sea totaling an estimated volume of 200-650 million boe.
Equinor is operator with 40%. Partners are Aker BP 30% and Wellesley 30%.
