A sidetrack is to be drilled in the well to assess whether the find is worth exploiting.
The objective of exploration well 6407/7-8 was to prove gas/condensate in the middle/lower Jurassic reservoirs in the Noatun prospect. The well struck gas/condensates at the prospective Jurassic range, although the size of the find is as yet unconfirmed.
The well has been formation tested using mini-DST, and extensive data and samples have been collected. A flank sidetrack will be drilled to confirm gas/water contact and the size of the find.
"We are delighted to have found hydrocarbons which can contribute to the extended lifetime of the Njord field, but we need more information before we can say anything about the size of the find, and any possible extraction methods," says Sivert Jørgenvåg, exploration manager for the Halten Bank.
This is the eighth exploration well drilled in production licence 107. The licence was awarded during the ninth concession round in 1985. The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 5,110 metres under the sea surface, and terminated at the Åre formation in the lower Jurassic level. Sea depth is 293 metres. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.
The well was drilled by the semi-submersible drilling rig West Alpha, which will now continue operations in production licence 107 by drilling sidetrack 6407/7-8A.
Licensees for production licence 107 are: StatoilHydro (20%), E.ON Ruhrgas (30%), ExxonMobil (20%), Gaz de France (20%), Petoro (7.5%) and Endeavour Energy (2.5%).
