Statoil mulls Norne tieback for Cape Vulture discovery

Statoil is considering a subsea tieback to the Norne floating production unit after making a 20-80 MMboe oil and gas recoverable discovery on the nearby Cape Vulture well in the Norwegian Sea.

The tieback project consideration comes as Statoil was given the green light to go ahead with two other subsea tieback projects for the Utgard and Byrding fields in the North Sea.

The Cape Vulture well was drilled using the Deep Sea Bergen semisubmersible, in 374m water depth, in license 128, 5km from Norne, and 200km west of Sandnessjøenand. Statoil says the well was the result of the development of a new exploration concept for the Nordland Ridge and Statoil says the discovery opens up for further exploration opportunities in the area. 

The primary and secondary exploration targets for the well were to prove petroleum in two Cretaceous reservoir levels (Lange formation), according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).

The well encountered petroleum at two levels in the Lange formation. In the primary exploration target, the well encountered a total oil column of about 5m with an overlying gas column of about 13m, of which 3m and 10m, respectively, were in sandstone with moderate to good reservoir properties, says the NPD. In the secondary exploration target, the well encountered an approx. 8m oil column, of which 5m were in sandstone with moderate to good reservoir properties. 

Jez Averty, senior vice president for exploration in Norway and the UK said: “We make this discovery one year after the announcement of the license award at the 2016 Sandefjord conference. This shows the importance of new acreage, demonstrates our ability to quickly test new opportunities, and emphasizes that looking at mature areas in new ways may pay off." 

Statoil is the operator of license 128 and 128D with a 64% share, Petoro holds a 24.5% share and ENI a 11.5% share.

The Deep Sea Bergen will now move to production license 159 B in the Norwegian Sea to drill wildcat well 6507/3-12, also for Statoil. 

Image: Odfjell's Deepsea Bergen (at rear).