Statoil discovered new oil resources in the D-structure at well 25/8-18 S in PL169, near the Grane field, in the North Sea.
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Map from Statoil. |
The D-structure is located on the Utsira High, about 7km north of the Grane field and in the immediate proximity of the Grane F oil discovery made by Statoil in 2013.
The exploration well, drilled by the Transocean Leader, proved an oil column of 25m in the Heimdal Formation from the Palaeocene Age, with an estimated volume of the discovery in the range of 30 to 80 million barrels of recoverable oil.
According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), the primary and secondary exploration targets for 25/8-18 S were to confirm oil volumes, the producibility properties and also to examine the discovery higher up in the structure in Palaeocene reservoir rocks (in the Heimdal formation and intra-Balder formation sandstone, respectively).
Statoil says that well 25/8-18 S appraised the D-structure and proved substantial additional oil volumes in an excellent sandstone reservoir. This is a result of a recent re-evaluation of the area done by the partnership. New seismic and improved subsurface mapping have given us new confidence in the D-structure and allowed to mature it towards a drilling decision.
According to Statoil, a tie-in to the nearby Grane field is one of the development solutions that will be evaluated for the discovery.
The NPD says this marks the 14th exploration well drilled in production license 169. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.
The D-structure was originally discovered in 1992 by well 25/8-4, which encountered 1m of oil corresponding to approximately 6MMbbl.
The Transocean Leader will now carry out permanent plugging of a previous discovery well, 25/11-16 in Svalin, in the same production license.
Statoil is operator in PL169 with a 57% interest. Partners are Petoro AS (30%) and ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Norway AS (13%).
In September, Statoil brought Fram H-North and Svalin C, located in block 25/11 southwest of the Grane platform, on stream. Preliminary estimates show Fram H-North contains 10MMboe and Svalin C just over 20MMboe.
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