The first exploration well in PL 090 I made a significant oil discovery close to the Fram field
Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS (“IPN”) (15 %) and partners Equinor Energy AS (Operator 45 %), Vår Energi AS (25 %) and Neptune Energy Norge AS (15 %) have discovered oil in the 31/2-22 S well on the Blasto prospect located 3 kilometers southwest of the Fram Field.
“IPN is very satisfied with the result of the Blasto well, the first exploration well in the PL090 I license, which is next to the prolific Fram licenses. This may contribute significantly to the production from the Fram infrastructure” says Futoshi Tsuneyama Managing Director for IPN. Adding that the exploration activity in the IPN licenses in the Fram area again has delivered a positive exploration result, and that another interesting exploration well will be drilled later in 2021.
The primary target for the exploration well 31/2-22 S was to prove hydrocarbons in the Late Jurassic Sognefjord Formation. The purpose of the sidetrack well 31/2-22 A was to prove hydrocarbons in the Sognefjord Formation in a neighboring structure.
The well 31/2-22 S encountered a total oil column of approximately 30 meters in the Upper Sognefjord Formation and an oil column of approximately 50 meters in the Lower Sognefjord Formation. In total approximately 100 meters of sandstone reservoir with very good reservoir quality was encountered. The oil water contacts were proven at 1860 meters and 1960 meters. In addition, the well discovered a minor gas accumulation in the Shetland Group, which will be further evaluated.
The sidetrack 31/2-22 A into the neighboring fault block also encountered sandstone reservoir with very good reservoir quality in the Sognefjord Formation, but the reservoir is water filled and the well is classified as dry.
The license partners see the discovery as significant and commercial and will evaluate this discovery in combination with other recent discoveries and existing infrastructure in the area.
The well was not formation tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling was performed. This is the first and second exploration wells in PL 090 I, which was awarded in the APA2017.
The well 31/2-22 S was drilled to a vertical depth of 2282 meters below sea level and a measured depth of 2379 meters below sea level and was terminated in the Late Jurassic Heather Formation. The well 31/2-22 A was drilled to a vertical depth of 2035 meters below sea level and a measured depth of 2207 meters below sea level and was terminated in the Sognefjord Formation.
The sea depth is 349 meters and both wells are plugged and abandoned.
The wells were drilled using the West Hercules drilling facility.