Fresh gas discovery augments Aker BP’s North Sea arsenal

September 16, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Norwegian oil and gas company Aker BP has struck gas in the North Sea, opening up a new opportunity 25 kilometers north of the Duva field. The operator and its partners will now assess whether the discovery could be commercially viable.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has disclosed that Aker BP made a gas discovery in the North Sea, within the Alpehumle prospect (36/4-2 and 36/4-2 A), which is situated 25 kilometres north of the Duva field. This is the first exploration well in production license 1153, which was awarded in APA 2021. Aker BP has a 40% ownership interest, while other licensees – Inpex Idemitsu, Okea, and Harbour Energy – hold respective stakes of 30%, 20%, and 10%.

The well was drilled by Saipem’s Scarabeo 8 rig, which secured a contract extension with Aker BP a few months ago. The rig has an accommodation capacity for 140 people and a maximum drilling depth of 35,000 feet (about 10,668 meters). The semi-submersible is staying with the Norwegian player for an additional year, taking the deal into 2028.

The primary exploration target for the well 36/4-2 was to prove petroleum in reservoir rocks from the Early Cretaceous (the Agat Formation). The objective of the sidetrack 36/4-2 A well was to delineate the discovery in 36/4-2 as well as to prove the hydrocarbon/water contact.

The water depth at the site is 255 meters, and the wells will be permanently plugged and abandoned. While the well 36/4-2 encountered a 10-meter gas column in the Agat Formation, 10 meters of which were in sandstone layers with very good reservoir quality, the hydrocarbon/water contact was not proven.

On the other hand, the well 36/4-2 A encountered 4-meter sandstone of very good reservoir quality in the Agat Formation. The reservoir was aquiferous, but extensive data acquisition and sampling were conducted in both wells.

The well 36/4-2 was drilled to a vertical depth of 2,250 meters below sea level and terminated in basement rock, while the well 36/4-2 A was drilled to a vertical depth of 2,320 meters below sea level and terminated in an unidentified formation.

The preliminary calculations show that the size is between 0.15 and 2.4 million standard cubic meters of recoverable oil equivalent, which corresponds to 1-15 million barrels.

According to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, the licensees will assess the well results to determine whether the discovery is economically profitable and consider the potential for further delineation.