Aker BP gas strike reported off Norway

Aug. 8, 2019
Aker BP ASA has plugged an exploration well and an appraisal at what the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate described as “a small gas discovery” 6 km southwest of Boyla oil field in the northern North Sea offshore Norway.

Aker BP ASA has plugged an exploration well and an appraisal at what the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate described as “a small gas discovery” 6 km southwest of Boyla oil field in the northern North Sea offshore Norway.

The directorate said the objective of the 24/9-13 wildcat was to prove petroleum in Eocene strata, while the 24/9-13A was to assess oil-water contacts.

The wildcat encountered a 3 m gas column in the Hordaland Group with 2 m of mainly good quality sandstone reservoir. It also cut several sandstone layers with mainly good quality totaling 17 m in the Balder formation.

The sandstones are thought to be remobilized sand from the Paleocene Heimdal and Hermod formations injected into overlying strata in the Eocene-Paleocene Rogaland and Hordaland group.

The appraisal well encountered a gas column of about 40 m in injectite zones. A total of 7 m of sandstone had good to very good reservoir quality, interpreted as injected sands of the Hordaland group.

The wells did not encounter petroleum-water contacts. They proved a gas column of at least 77 m, NPD said.

The wells, in 118 m of water, were not formation-tested. NPD said Aker BP is studying results for possible further delineation.

The Deepsea Nordkapp semisubmersible drilled the 24/9-13 to 2,272 vertical depth below sea surface and the 24/9-13 A to 2,240 m vertical depth and 3,433 m measured depth.

Aker BP is operator with a 60% interest in the license. Lundin Norway AS and Point Resources AS hold 20% interests each.