Equinor ASA on Monday announced another discovery in the recently started-up Johan Castberg field on Norway’s side of the Barents Sea.
The majority state-owned energy major put preliminary estimates for well 7720/7-DD-1H, or Drivis Tubaen, at 9-15 million barrels of oil. The discovery was drilled near the Drivis discoveries of 2014, according to a press release by Equinor.
“The licensees will consider tie-in of the discovery to the Johan Castberg field”, said Equinor, which operates Johan Castberg with a 46.3 percent stake. The other developers are Eni SpA-backed Var Energi ASA with a 30 percent interest and state-owned Petoro AS with 23.7 percent.
“The Johan Castberg volume base originally estimated at 450-650 million barrels, our clear ambition is to increase the reserves by another 250-550 million barrels”, said Grete Birgitte Haaland, Equinor senior vice president for exploration and production North. “To realize this, we are planning six new exploration wells and continuous exploration activity”.
Earlier this month Equinor said Johan Castberg has ramped up to capacity, or 220,000 barrels of oil per day, after going onstream late March.
“This increases energy deliveries from the Barents Sea by 150 percent”, Equinor said in a statement June 20.
Johan Castberg is the third field developed in the Norwegian Barents Sea after Snohvit, which started production 2007, and Goliat, which went online 2016.
“Johan Castberg represents a gamechanger for the importance of the Barents Sea for Norway’s future as an energy nation. Every three to four days, tank loads now depart from Johan Castberg, each of them worth around half a billion Norwegian kroner”, Kjetil Hove, Equinor executive vice president for Norwegian exploration and production.
“The field will remain on stream for at least 30 years, delivering stable energy to Europe, generating high value for Norway, and ripple effects and jobs in Northern Norway”.
The new discovery was made in a new segment called the Tubaen formation 1,769 meters (5,803.81 feet) below the seabed. The well had a water depth of 345 meters, Equinor said.
Drivis Tubaen is the 14th exploration well drilled in production license 532, awarded 2009, according to Equinor.
The well was drilled by the Transocean Enabler rig as an extension from a production well. The rig remains in Johan Castberg for further drilling, Equinor said.
“The Barents Sea is the least explored ocean area on the Norwegian continental shelf”, it said. “With the Johan Castberg’s production facilities in place, it becomes more attractive to explore the neighboring areas.
“Going forward, two rigs will drill both production wells and new exploration wells in the areas around Johan Castberg and Goliat. Equinor will drill one to two exploration wells annually around Johan Castberg”.
To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com
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