The partners in the Statoil-operated Åsgard licence resolved on 13 January to increase recovery from this Norwegian Sea field by drilling two additional wells.
That will boost recoverable reserves by 26 million barrels of oil (4.1 million cubic metres), while also accelerating production.
“This represents one of Statoil’s best improved oil recovery (IOR) projects for the moment,” observes Stein Børre Torp, resource development manager for Åsgard.
Drilling will be conducted through a new Q subsea template on the Smørbukk South deposit, with the wellstream being piped in two new flowlines to the Åsgard A production ship.
The cost framework for the project is NOK 1.8 billion. The two wells will be drilled from Transocean Searcher. The first is due to spud in April, with production scheduled to start early next year.
This development represents phase I of the Q template project. Plans call for phase II, embracing two more IOR wells, to be sanctioned later.
The second phase would also include an additional gas injection well drilled through the existing R template on Smørbukk South.
In addition, the final well in Åsgard’s main 52-well drilling programme is due to be drilled through the new five-slot Q template.
Two wells in the main programme remain to be implemented, and Stena Don is currently spudding the penultimate producer.