Gas Discovery Northeast of Aasta Hansteen

Centrica Resources Norge AS, operator of production licence 528 B, is about to complete drilling of wildcat well 6707/10-3 S. The well was drilled about 20km northeast of the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea.

The primary and secondary exploration targets for the well were proving petroleum in Upper Cretaceous reservoir rocks, from the Kvitnos and Lysing formations, respectively. Well 6707/10-3 S encountered a total gas column of about 12m in the Kvitnos formation with good reservoir properties. The entire reservoir zone, including the water zone, has a gross thickness of about 200m.

Reservoir rocks were encountered in the secondary exploration target with a total of 25m thickness in the Lysing formation, which was tight and aquiferous. Preliminary calculations of the size of the discovery are between two and eight billion Sm3 of recoverable gas. The licensees will assess well results with regard to profitability.

The well was not formation tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling were carried out. This is the first exploration well in production licence 528 B. The licence was awarded in the 21st licensing round, as an addition to production licence 528.

Well 6707/10-3 S was drilled to a vertical depth of 4264m below the sea surface, and was terminated in the Lange formation in the Lower Cretaceous. Water depth was 1421m. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned. Well 6707/10-3 S was drilled by the West Navigator drill ship.

Adapted from press release by Joe Green

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/exploration/08122014/aasta-hansteen-norwegian-sea-gas-discovery-1948/