Equinor Low Carbon Solutions (Equinor) has drilled two appraisal wells in the North Sea which indicate that the reservoir is suitable for injection and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The wells, 32/7-1 and 32/4-4, were drilled in the North Sea about 20 kilometers east of the Troll A platform.
Odfjell Drilling’s DeepSea Stavanger semi-submersible drilling rig was used for the drilling operation.
Wells 32/7-1 and 32/4-4 were drilled in the Gamma and Alpha areas respectively, which together make up a potential CO2 storage site for the Smeaheia project.
The wells were the first to be drilled in exploration licence EXL 002, awarded in June 2022.
These are the second and third wells drilled to investigate the possibility of commercial CO2 storage on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
Extensive volumes of data have been acquired and samples have been taken from the reservoirs and cap rocks in the two wells. Four injection tests were also conducted in 32/7-1, as well as four injection tests in 32/4-4. The preliminary results are positive.
The data will now be analysed in greater detail, and the results will form part of the basis for future investment decisions in Equinor’s Smeaheia storage project.
The wells have been permanently plugged and abandoned.