Eni has hit gas and condensate with its first wildcat in production license 533 in the Barents Sea offshore Norway.

Eni Norge AS, the operator of PL 533, completed the drilling of well 7220/10-1 with the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) saying a preliminary estimate of the size of the find is put at between 5-7 MMcm of recoverable oil equivalent. The wildcat well, dubbed Salina, is located 50 km (31 miles) northwest of the Snøhvit field.

In the primary target, a 38 m (125 ft) gas/condensate column was encountered in the Knurr formation. In the secondary target, a 54 m (177 ft) gas/condensate column was encountered in the Stø formation. Reservoir quality as expected. Further delineation of the discovery will be considered, the company added.

The primary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Lower Cretaceous to Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (Knurr and Hekkingen formations). The secondary target was to prove petroleum in Middle to Lower Jurassic reservoir rocks (Stø, Nordmela, Tubåen, and Fruholmen formations).

The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 2,371 m (7,779 ft) and terminated in the Snadd formation in Upper Triassic. The probe was drilled by the Scarabeo 8 rig in a water depth of 348 m (1,142 ft), with the well to be permanently plugged and abandoned.

It was not formation tested but extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out, added the NPD. The licence was awarded in the 20th licensing round.

The Scarabeo 8 rig will now head for production license 229 in the Barents Sea to start drilling on Eni’s deepwater Goliat field.

Eni operates PL 533 with a 40% interest, with its partners Lundin, Det Norske, and RWE Dea holding 20% each.