Dana Petroleum has made an oil discovery in the Moray Firth following the drilling of the Liberator exploration well.
Dana drilled 13/23d-8 on the Liberator prospect in licence P1987, as operator, and discovered hydrocarbons in a Lower Cretaceous Captain sandstone reservoir.
Detailed evaluation of the discovery will now be undertaken to determine the volume of discovered oil and to design an appraisal program.
The well was drilled using the Ocean Nomad semisubmersible drilling rig, which will now return to the northern North Sea for further operations on Dana’s Western Isles development.
Earlier this week, Dana announced a gas discovery in the Southern North Sea.
The discovery was made in Rotliegendes sandstone in the 47/5d-6 well on the Pharos prospect in licence P1566.
Dana was operator, with partners Hansa Hydrocarbons Ltd (15%) Dyas Exploration UK Limited (15%), MPX North Sea Limited (15%) and Parkmead (E&P) Limited (20%).
The well was drilled using the jackup drilling rig Noble Lynda Bossler, which has since returned to the Dutch North Sea for other operations with Dana.