Statoil's 2017 three-well UK North Sea drilling campaign has resulted in a discovery in the Verbier well, but leaves behind two disappointments, the firm reports today.
On Verbier, after initial disappointing results in the target formation, which contained water-filled sand, Statoil sidetracked the well and have now made a 25-130 MMboe oil discovery. Verbier is in the outer Moray Firth on the UK Continental Shelf. The campaign used the Transocean Spitsbergen semisubmersible drilling rig (pictured).
“This is an encouraging result for Statoil and the UK team. We have proven oil in good quality sands with good reservoir properties, but significant work remains, most likely including appraisal, to clarify the recoverable volumes and to refine this range,” says Jez Averty, senior vice president Exploration in Norway and the UK.
Statoil says it and its partners will now assess Verbier's commerciality in addition to maturing additional opportunities within the P2170 license.
“The results show that we made the right decision to sidetrack the well and this discovery proves that there could be significant remaining potential in this mature basin,” says Jenny Morris, vice president for Exploration in the UK.
The Norwegian firm has also drilled a dry well on the Koigen Central prospect in the Barents Sea, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).
Statoil's Jock Scott exploration well, on underexplored margins of the Viking Graben, east of Shetland, was dry with no reservoir section encountered.
The Mariner Segment 9 well, which looked to prove additional resources on the Mariner heavy oilfield, found two oil-filled sands in the Heimdal Formation and a thin oil column in the deeper Maureen Formation. Reuters reports that the well was dry.
Statoil says data acquired will be used to establish the extent of the Heimdal sands, the impact on resources and future drainage strategy for the main Mariner field together with the potential for tie back of additional resources.
The Koigen Central well 7317/9-1 in license 718, in the Norwegian Barents Sea was drilled about 100km northwest of the Johan Castberg discovery. It was the first exploration well in the license and drilled in 460m water depth using the Songa Enabler semisubmersible.
“Whilst the results of the other two exploration wells were disappointing, we are convinced of the remaining, high-value potential on the UK continental shelf and the Verbier result certainly gives us the confidence and determination to continue our exploration efforts,” Averty adds.
Statoil is operator with 70% interest on Verbier, with partner Jersey Oil and Gas (18%) and CIECO Exploration and Production (UK) (12%).
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