Uchenna Izundu
OGJ International Editor
HOUSTON, May 5 -- StatoilHydro will permanently plug and abandon its exploration well on the Canon prospect in the Norwegian North Sea after making a gas-condensate discovery that was deemed noncommercial.
The well tested the upper Brent reservoir and the deeper Statfjord sandstone level, producing gas-condensate in the former and penetrating tight sands in the latter that were probably full of water.
Tom Dreyer, StatoilHydro's vice-president, infrastructure exploration in the North Sea, said the Brent reservoir was thinner than expected.
The exploration well 30/3-10 S reached a TVD of 3,962 m in 122 m of water. StatoilHydro used the West Alpha semisubmersible rig to drill the Canon prospect, which lies 11 km west of Veslefrikk field in the North Sea. The well was drilled to prove petroleum in a fault block between the Huldra and Oseberg fields, said StatoilHydro.
The rig's charter with StatoilHydro will terminate once the well is completed.
This is the second well to be tested in the Canon structure. An exploration well drilled in 2000 provided inconclusive results about the economic potential of the structure.
StatoilHydro operates production license 052 with an 18% share. Other parters include Petoro 37%, RWE Dea Norge 13.5%, Revus Energy 4.5%, and Talisman Resources Norge 27%.
Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].