Statoil ASA, along with partners Eni Norge and Petoro, made a gas discovery at the Iskrystall prospect on PL608 off Norway in the Barents Sea. The well is approximately 30km southwest of 7220/8-1 Johan Castberg and about 240km north of Hammerfest.
Drilled by Seadrill Ltd.’s semisubmersible rig West Hercules, well 7219/8-2 proved an approximately 200m gas column. Statoil estimates Iskrystall’s volumes between 6-25MMboe. After completion, the vessel will now travel to PL532 to wildcat Statoil’s 7220/7-2 S, in the Skavl prospect.
Iskrystall was the second of four prospects to be drilled in the Johan Castberg area this year after the license was awarded in 2011. The first prospect, Nunatak, also netted a small amount of gas.
"Our main goal was to find oil in Iskrystall, but unfortunately it did not materialize. We still believe we can prove more oil resources in the Johan Castberg area and will continue our exploration effort with two more wells in the Skavl and Kramsnø prospects," said Gro G. Haatvedt, senior vice president exploration Norway.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate said that it was the first exploration well drilled in PL608. Statoil operates the block with 50% interest. Its license partners Eni Norge holds 30% and and Petoro owns the remaining 20%.
Image: West Hercules in the Barents Sea, drilling well 100 in Nunatak, the first prospect in the Johan Castberg area. Credit: Ole Jørgen Bratland - Statoil ASA
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