Equinor has discovered oil in exploration well 30/12-3 S in the North Sea, while drilling the well on behalf of Aker BP, using Odfjell Drilling's Deepsea Stavanger rig.
The well also included a sidetrack, 30/12-3 A, which came up dry. It has permanently plugged and abandoned, according to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.
The wells were drilled about 40 kilometers south of Oseberg and 150 kilometers west of Bergen.
This is the first well in the production license 272 B, operated by Aker BP.
Aker BP and Equinor each have ownership interests of 50% in the production license, which was awarded in APA 2018.
The production license is part of the Munin field, which was discovered in 2011. The authorities approved the plan for development and operation (PDO) for Munin in June 2023.
The objective of wildcat wells 30/12-3 S and 30/12-3 A was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks in the Tarbert Formation.
Well 30/12-3 S encountered a 3.5-meter oil column in the Tarbert Formation, in a sandstone reservoir with moderate reservoir quality. The Tarbert Formation was about 195 meters thick, 97 meters of which was sandstone rocks with moderate-good reservoir quality. The oil/water contact was encountered 3110 meters below sea level.
The Ness Formation was about 163 meters thick in total, 19 meters of which was a sandstone reservoir with moderate reservoir quality.
Well 30/12-3 S was drilled to measured and vertical depths of 3663 meters and 3465 meters below sea level, respectively, and was terminated in the Drake Formation.
The wells were not formation-tested, but data acquisition was undertaken.