Total strikes gas in North Sea

Total E & P Norge, a unit of French energy giant Total, has made a gas and condensate discovery in the North Sea.

Preliminary estimations of the size of the discovery are between 2 and 11 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalents, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).

“Extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out. The well was formation-tested. The maximum production rate was 2.4 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of gas/flow day through a 48/64-inch nozzle opening,” the NPD said in a statement on Monday.

The well was drilled in the northeast part of the Martin Linge field. It has added additional resources to the Martin Linge development and was completed with the objective of putting the well into production at start-up of the field.

The well 30/4-3 S is the fourth exploration well in production license 043 which was awarded in 1976.

It was drilled to a vertical and measured depth of 4134 metres and 4581 metres below the sea surface, respectively, and was terminated in the Dunlin group in the Early Jurassic.

The well was drilled with the Mærsk Intrepid jack-up drilling rig.