Vår Energi ASA has discovered gas and condensate in the Lakris prospect in Gimsan basin on the Halten Terrace in the Norwegian Sea.

Well 6407/5-3 S was drilled by the COSL Prospector semisubmersible drilling rig about 170 km northwest of Kristiansund in production license 1002 to a vertical depth of 4,225 m subsea. It was terminated in the lower Jurassic. Water depth at the site is 218 m.

Preliminary calculations place the size of the discovery at 0.2-0.9 million standard cu m of recoverable oil equivalent (1.3-5.5 MMboe), the Norwegian Offshore Directorate reported.

The objective of the well was to prove petroleum in Cretaceous reservoir rocks in the Nise formation, as well as in Lower Jurassic reservoir rocks in the Tilje formation.

The well encountered gas and condensate in the upper Tilje formation in heterolithic reservoir rocks totaling 54 m, with moderate to poor reservoir quality. The gas-water contact was not encountered in the well.

Hydrocarbon shows were proven in the lower Tilje formation. The well did not encounter a sandstone reservoir in the Nise formation, but elevated gas values were recorded in the interval. The Garn, Ile, and Tofte formations were also investigated, but the intervals were aquiferous and the reservoir quality was moderate to poor.

The well was not formation-tested, but data and samples were collected. The well will now be permanently plugged.

Vår Energy is operator of the license. Equinor serves as partner.