Neptune in minor oil discovery near Fenja field

Neptune Energy has made a minor oil discovery and delineated the Bue oil discovery near the Fenja field in the Norwegian Sea.

The wells are located in production licence 586 where Neptune is the operator.

According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s statement on Wednesday, Neptune is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6406/12-G-1 H, which is an extension of an observation well for the 6406/12-3 A (Bue) oil discovery.

The well was drilled on the Fenja field about 120 kilometres north of Kristiansund.

The 6406/12-3 A (Bue) oil discovery was proven in 2014 in Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Rogn Formation). Before observation well 6406/12-G-1 H was drilled on the discovery, the resource estimate was between 1 and 4 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalent.

The well’s primary exploration target was to reduce uncertainty in the resource estimate. The secondary objective was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (sandstone in the lower part of the Melke Formation).

The well 6406/12-G-1 H did not encounter reservoir rocks in either the primary or secondary exploration target.

However, the well did encounter a total oil column of 38 metres just above the secondary exploration target in the lower part of the Intra-Melke Formation, of which about 20 meters were of moderate to very good reservoir quality.

The preliminary calculation of the 6406/12-3 A (Bue) oil discovery has now been reduced to between 0.2 and 1.6 million Sm3 of recoverable oil equivalent, while the estimate for the new oil discovery is between 0.5 and 3.2 million Sm3 of recoverable oil equivalent.

The licensees will consider tying the discoveries into existing infrastructure on the Fenja field.

The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition was carried out.

This is the 7th exploration well in production licence 586, which was awarded in APA 2010.

The well 6406/12-G-1 H was drilled to measured and vertical depths of 4235 and 3695 metres below sea level, respectively, and it was terminated in the Melke Formation.

The water depth at the site is 322 metres. The well will now be temporarily plugged and abandoned.

The well 6406/12-G-1 H was drilled by the West Phoenix drilling rig, which is now headed to Ølen for a stay at the shipyard.