Oil and gas firm Neptune Energy has started drilling on the Bue well in the Fenja field in the Norwegian Sea.
The well, drilled by Seadrill's West Phoenix semi-submersible drilling rig will act as a pilot for the location of the Fenja field's production and injection wells and will support the appraisal of the Bue discovery.
Fenja is Neptune's first operated development project on the Norwegian Shelf, estimated to contain 97 million boe.
"[The Bue well] will also enhance our understanding of the Frisbee prospect, which is located just below Bue," said Neptune Energy’s Director of Exploration and Development in Norway, Steinar Meland.
Fenja is located in the Norwegian Sea, 120 kilometers north of Kristiansund. Bue, formally named well 6406/12-G-1, was spudded on September 1, 2020.
The Fenja oil and gas field comprises the Pil and Bue discoveries. Pil is being developed first, with two subsea templates tied back to the Njord A platform for processing and export.
Six wells are to be drilled: three oil production wells, two water injection wells and one gas injection well. Production at the field is expected to last for 16 years.
"If the drilling campaign at Bue shows positive results, Bue will be phased in with one production well and one water injection well in the existing subsea templates. Bue may generate an additional 20 million barrels of oil equivalent," Neptune Energy said.
The well stream from the Fenja field is transported by pipeline to Njord A for processing. The oil will be stored at the Njord B facility for transfer to tankers. The reinjected gas will be produced towards the end of the oil production period and transported via the Åsgard Transport System (ÅTS).