Lundin Petroleum AB, through its wholly owned subsidiary Lundin Norway AS, has completed exploration well 16/2-20S, located north of the Johan Sverdrup discovery in PL501, in the North Sea sector of the Norwegian Continental Shelf. A sidetrack well will now be drilled.
Well 16/2-20S explored the Torvastad prospect located in PL501 immediately north of the Johan Sverdrup discovery. The main objectives of the well were to prove the presence of oil-bearing lower Cretaceous/upper Jurassic sandstone and to determine whether the Torvastad structure was in communication with the Johan Sverdrup discovery.
Well 16/2-20S found a lower Cretaceous/upper Jurassic sequence with poor reservoir properties of approximately 24m above a water-bearing upper Jurassic Draupne sandstone sequence of approximately 10m of excellent quality in a 14m gross sequence. The 24m lower Cretaceous/upper Jurassic reservoir was found according to depth prognosis but is thicker than expected. As a consequence, the Draupne sandstone came in deeper than expected. The water-bearing upper Jurassic Draupne sandstone appears to be the same sequence encountered in all Johan Sverdrup wells.
The PL501 licensees have decided to drill a side-track at 16/2-20S approximately 770m west of the 16/2-20S target location. The sidetrack well will investigate the potential of an up-flank continuous Draupne sandstone and to establish an oil water contact. The side-track is estimated to take approximately 20 days.
Well 16/2-20S was drilled to a total depth of 2,070m below mean sea level into basement rocks. A comprehensive coring and logging program has been successfully completed.
The well was drilled using the semi-submersible drilling rig Island Innovator which will now continue drilling the 16/2-20A side-track in PL501.
Lundin Norway is the operator in PL501 with 40% interest. Partners are Statoil Petroleum AS with 40% interest and Maersk Oil Norway AS with 20% interest.