Wintershall Norge AS, operator of production licence 248, is in the process of completing the drilling of wildcat well 35/11-18 and appraisal well 35/11-18 A.

The wells have been drilled approx. four kilometres west of the Vega Sør field.

The primary exploration target for well 35/11-18 was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Brent group). The secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (sandstones in the Heather formation).

In the primary exploration target, the well encountered a 275 metre thickness of moderate to good reservoir quality in the Brent group. The well proved light oil in the Tarbert and Oseberg formation, with columns of eleven and three metres, respectively.

In the secondary exploration target, the well encountered an eight-metre hydrocarbon column of good to poor reservoir quality.

The objective of appraisal well 35/11-18 A was to investigate the extent of the reservoir and the hydrocarbon columns. The well was drilled about 450 metres south of the discovery well. The well proved gas and oil in two Upper Jurassic (the Heather formation) sandstones with net thicknesses of 33 and 24 metres, respectively, with poor to good reservoir quality. The well encountered oil throughout the Brent group, which is 270 metres, with moderate to good reservoir quality. The well also encountered a 46-metre column of light oil in the Lower Jurassic (the Cook formation). Preliminary estimates place the size of the discovery between 1 and 3 million Sm3 of recoverable oil.

Tags: Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Wintershall Norge ASA