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BARENTS SEA OIL FLOW DISAPPOINTING

Feb. 28, 1994

Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS completed testing of the first producible oil find in the Barents Sea - with disappointing results. Statoil's 7128/4-1 wildcat flowed 10.3 MMcfd of gas but only 157 b/d of oil through a 71 mm choke, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) reported. NPD said problems during testing cast doubts on whether results were representative of the reservoir's productive capacity (OGJ, Feb. 21, p. 42).

Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS completed testing of the first producible oil find in the Barents Sea - with disappointing results.

Statoil's 7128/4-1 wildcat flowed 10.3 MMcfd of gas but only 157 b/d of oil through a 71 mm choke, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) reported.

NPD said problems during testing cast doubts on whether results were representative of the reservoir's productive capacity (OGJ, Feb. 21, p. 42).

The Ross Rig semisubmersible, which drilled and tested the well, is scheduled to leave the location for storage in Stavanger. Statoil has no plans to return to the field for further tests.

Although Statoil was disappointed by oil flow test results, the company maintains this reservoir is the first discovery in the Barents Sea to hold recoverable oil.

This is seen as encouraging confirmation of the validity of Statoil's exploration model for the region's late Permian sandstones.