RWE Dea Discovers Gas in Norwegian Sea

RWE Dea Norge AS, operator of production licence 435, is in the process of completing the drilling of wildcat well 6507/7-15 S.  The well was drilled about 3.5 kilometres west of the 6507/7-14 S gas discovery made in the same licence in 2010, and 15 kilometres northwest of the Heidrun field in the Norwegian Sea.

The primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Fangst group). The secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in reservoir rocks from the Early Cretaceous Age (the Lange formation) and Early Jurassic Age (the Tilje formation).

Gas was proven in sandstones in the Garn and Ile formation (the Fangst Group) in a gross column of about 140 metres. Preliminary estimates place the size of the discovery between 4 and 13 billion standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable gas. In addition, small amounts of gas were proven in the Lange and Tilje formations.

The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out which will provide valuable information for future production of the gas discoveries in the production licence. The licensees in production licence 435 will consider producing the discovery together with the 6507/7-14 S discovery, to the Heidrun field. The well is the second exploration well in production licence 435, which was awarded in APA (Awards in Pre-defined Areas) 2006.

The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 4534 metres below the sea surface, and was terminated in the Tilje formation in the Lower Jurassic.

Water depth at the site is 399 metres. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.

Well 6507/7-15 S was drilled by the West Alpha drilling facility, which will now proceed to production licence 477 in the Norwegian Sea to drill wildcat well 6506/11-9 S, where Centrica Resources (Norge) AS is the operator.

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Source: NPD, April 24, 2012