North Sea well yields no hydrocarbons

September 22, 2023,
by

Melisa Cavcic

Norway’s energy giant Equinor, on behalf of Aker BP, is in the process of concluding the drilling of an exploration well in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea after the well turned out to be dry.

Deepsea Stavanger rig; Source: Odfjell Drilling

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) gave Aker BP consent for exploration drilling in block 30/11 a few months ago. The company’s prospect, Krafla Midt Statfjord HPHT, is located in production license 035, which was awarded on November 14, 1969, and is valid until December 31, 2023. Aker BP (50%) is the operator of the license, with Equinor (50%) as its partner. The consent included the drilling of the well 30/11-15.

According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s report, the well 30/11-15 near the Munin field, which Equinor drilled on behalf of Aker BP, is dry. This is the 14th exploration well in PL 035. The well was drilled by Odfjell Drilling’s Deepsea Stavanger rig, about 25 km southwest of the Oseberg field in the North Sea and 150 km west of Bergen.

The well 30/11-15 was drilled to a vertical depth of 4,620 meters below sea level and was terminated in the Eiriksson Formation in the Lower Jurassic. The water depth at the site is 106 meters. The well has now been permanently plugged and abandoned.

While the primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Lower Jurassic reservoir rocks in the Statfjord Group, the secondary target was sampling and logging previously proven petroleum deposits from the Middle Jurassic Brent Group.

The well 30/11-15 encountered the Statfjord Group at about 382 meters, with reservoir rocks totaling 58 meters with poor reservoir quality, and data acquisition was carried out. In addition, the well encountered the Brent Group with reservoir properties and hydrocarbon columns as expected. Data acquisition was also carried out in the Brent Group.

The discovery in well 30/11-8 S was proven in 2011 with the Munin discovery, and the plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in June 2023. Following the Munin discovery, an additional seven exploration wells have been drilled in this production license, three of which have resulted in discoveries.