Loss of operatorship for giant Statfjord oil and gas field in the Norwegian North Sea at the start of 1987 transformed Mobil Development Norway AS.
The agreed transfer of Mobil's large Statfjord division to state owned Den norske stats oljeselskap AS changed Mobil company from one of the most influential organizations on the Norwegian scene to just another foreign owned operator trying to find and develop reserves.
In the intervening 5 years Mobil has tried to regain some of its former stature with a drilling program on a limited amount of operated acreage in the North Sea and areas north of the 62nd parallel.
BETTER TIMES AHEAD
Now a successful well on Block 35/11, just north of giant Troll gas field, could point the way to better times ahead for Mobil. The discovery was drilled early in 1991, but the semisubmersible at that time was unsuitable for testing in adverse winter conditions.
The reentry tested four zones, three of which flowed 39-43 gravity oil, the best at 4,300 b/d. A gas zone flowed 19 MMcfd. It was the second strike by Mobil on the block.
Mobil plans a program of drilling and 3-D seismic surveys on the block and will drill on Block 33/9, the prolific Statfjord block, on acreage Statoil was forced to relinquish.
Apart from the excellent results from the 35/11-4 reentry, one of the most encouraging aspects for Mobil is the size of its working interest.
It holds a 40% interest, the kind of percentage foreign owned companies find hard to acquire in Norwegian North Sea blocks these days.
The end of 1991 and beginning of 1992 gave a timely boost to Norwegian exploration. In addition to Mobil's latest discovery north of Troll, Statoil enhanced interest in the Nordland II area, north of the Haltenbanken oil an gas province, with a potentially commercial discovery on Block 6808/10.
At the end of last year, Norsk Hydro AS completed a discovery on the Hermod structure in Block 25/11 that has raised the prospects for development of Balder field, where Esso Norge AS is operator.
NORDLAND II STRIKE
Most significant of the two strikes was Statoil's 6608/10-2 discovery. The attractive Jurassic oil gauge (OGJ, Jan., 20, p. 26) and manage able gas flows have ensured a high degree of industry interest in Nordland II in the next licensing round. Norsk Hydro's 25/11-15 wildcat flowed 3,402 b/d of 18 gravity oil through a 1 in. choke from Paleocene sands. It could trigger development on the block, originally awarded to Esso in 1969.
After a long, costly drilling campaign and long term test program on its 100% owned block, Esso relinquished much of the acreage outside the immediate vicinity of Balder field. But in the 13th licensing round Norsk Hydro picked up the rest of the block with a disappointed Esso included only as a 10% partner.
Copyright 1992 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
