Statoil and partners OMV and Petoro have made a non-commercial gas discovery in the Gemini North well, northeast of the Wisting discovery in the Barents Sea. The well found a small amount of oil.
The well was drilled in license PL 855, in the Hoop area, about 30km northeast of the Wisting discovery. It was the first well drilled in the acreage awarded in Norway’s 23rd licensing round.
Recoverable volumes are estimated at 0.4-1 Bcm, or about 2-6 MMboe. In addition, there was proved oil, amounting to approximately 0.5-2 MMbbl recoverable.
“The well was drilled with the ambition of proving up additional oil resources in the vicinity of the Wisting discovery, but like the previous Blåmann well, we discovered gas,” says Jez Averty, senior vice president for exploration in Norway and the UK. “While this well proved a non-commercial gas discovery, the results provide grounds for cautious optimism for additional potential both within this license and the Hoop Area.”
Averty says learnings from the Gemini North Well will be used on its portfolio in the Hoop-area, which it plans to test in 2018.
Gemini North is the third discovery in Statoil’s 2017 Barents Sea exploration campaign, following the Kayak oil discovery announced on 3 July and the Blåmann gas discovery announced on 17 July.
The Songa Enabler semisubmersible drilling rig, which drilled the Gemini North well, will now move to the highly anticipated Korpfjell prospect in license PL859 in the Barents Sea southeast.
Statoil is operator on Gemini North with 55% interest, with partners OMV (25%) and Petoro (20%).
Licensees in Korpfjell (PL859) are Statoil (operator), with 30%, Chevron (20%) Petoro (20%), Lundin (15%), and ConocoPhillips (15%).