Norwegian oil and gas operator DNO has made a minor oil discovery on the Gomez prospect in the North Sea, offshore Norway.
The exploration well, located 14 kilometers east of the Ekofisk field, encountered hydrocarbons in the primary target in the Våle Formation of the Paleocene Age. The reservoir is a 23 meters thick, homogeneous sandstone of poor to moderate quality. A small amount of oil was recovered during logging. The oil/water contact was not encountered.
DNO used the Borgland Dolphin rig to drill the well. Pre-drill estimates ranged 26-80 million barrels of oil equivalent.
"Based on preliminary assessments, there is uncertainty whether the reservoir can be commercially produced and no estimate of recoverable volumes has been established at this stage," DNO said.
DNO said it would study the extensive data collected during the operation before deciding next steps. DNO holds a 65 percent interest in the PL006C license where the well was drilled with its partner Aker BP holding 35 percent.
The Gomez well, formally known as well 2/5-15, was drilled to a vertical depth of 3292 meters below sea level and was terminated in the Ekofisk Formation from the Palaeocene. The water depth at the site is 67 meters. The well will be plugged and abandoned.
The Borgland Dolphin semi-submersible drilling rig will now move to drill wildcat well 6306/3-1 S in production licence 937 in the southern part of the Norwegian Sea, where INEOS E&P Norge AS is the operator.
Also, DNO further said Tuesday that Equinor had reported that the recently completed Black Vulture exploration well did not encounter hydrocarbons.
"In addition to Gomez and Black Vulture, DNO’s 2021 Norwegian exploration and appraisal program comprises three wells, of which the first two, Røver Nord (DNO 20 percent) and Bergknapp (DNO 30 percent), have already been drilled and proven likely commercial volumes. The remaining 2021 exploration well, Mugnetind (DNO 30 percent), will spud shortly," DNO said.