OMV Norge, a Norwegian subsidiary of the Austrian oil firm OMV, has made a minor, non-commercial discovery at the Velocette offshore exploration well in Norway, Longboat JAPEX Norge, a partner in the PL1016 offshore license, has informed.
The exploration well 6607/3-1 S in the Norwegian Sea. encountered hydrocarbons in the primary target in Cretaceous turbidite sands in the Nise formation. The top of the reservoir was reached close to prognosis at a vertical depth of 3348 meters below sea level with 61 meters of high net-to-gross, moderate to very good quality sandstone. Data acquisition indicates a gas column of approximately nine metres in the well.
"As the Velocette volumes are at the lower end of pre-drill expectations the discovery is not considered to be commercial in isolation. However, the license contains numerous other prospects which have been derisked by the presence of gas in good quality reservoir in the Velocette well," Longboat JAPEX Norge said.
"The remaining prospectivity has significant size potential in multiple structures and with slightly different trapping geometries. Further assessment of the license prospectivity together with other opportunities in the area could impact the commercial potential of the license," the company added.
High quality data and gas and fluid samples were collected in the exploration well and these will be integrated into the updated prospect evaluations. PL1016 is located within tieback distance from the Equinor operated, producing Aasta Hansteen field (~45 km).
The well will now be plugged and abandoned as planned. The license partnership consists of Longboat JAPEX Norge AS (20%), OMV Norge AS (40% operator) and INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS (40%).
Helge Hammer, Chief Executive of Longboat Energy, said: Although we are disappointed not to have made a commercial discovery in Velocette, the presence of good quality sandstone reservoir, which was the main pre-drill risk, and the presence of gas is encouraging. There is significant follow-on potential that has been derisked with this result and we will be working with our joint venture partners to mature these opportunities further.”
Before the spud, Velocette had been estimated to contain gross unrisked mean resources of 177 mmboe (35 mmboe net to Longboat JAPEX Norge AS) with a geological chance of success of 30%.
The Velocette well was drilled using the Transocean Norge semi-submersible drilling rig in a water depth of about 475 meters.