Houston-headquartered ConocoPhillips Co., working with Polish partner PGNiG, has discovered what the company said could be the largest discovery made this year on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
The Warka discovery (6507/4-1), located north of ConocoPhillips’ Victoria discovery, helps de-risk the Cretaceous play in the region.
Preliminary estimates for the discovery well, which was drilled 22 miles northwest of the Heidrun Field in the central part of the Norwegian Sea, are between 50 million and 190 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent, ConocoPhillips said Nov. 11.
“This discovery, potentially the largest on the Norwegian Continental Shelf this year, bolsters our position in the Norwegian Sea and the Heidrun area,” Matt Fox, executive vice president and COO for ConocoPhillips, said in a statement. “The Warka discovery and potential future opportunities represent very low cost of supply resource additions that can extend our multi-decade success on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.”
Drilled by the Leiv Eiriksson semisubmersible drilling rig to a vertical depth of 4,960 m below sea level, the well targeted oil in reservoir rocks from the Albian and Aptian Ages in Early Cretaceous reservoirs (Intra Lange Formation sandstones), according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). The well hit a 27-m gas column in the Lange Formation.
Water depth in the area is about 400 m.
In the Albian, the primary exploration target, the well encountered a 27-m gas column in sandstone layers in the Lange Formation, the NPD said, adding “No reservoir rocks were encountered in the secondary target.”
The Norwegian regulator added that extensive data acquisition and sampling have taken place, though the well has not been formation tested.
ConocoPhillips said it plans are to carry out additional appraisal work to determine potential flow rates, the reservoir’s ultimate resource recovery and development plans.
Warka is the first exploration well in production license 1009, where ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS is operator with 65% working interest. PGNiG Upstream Norway AS holds the remaining interest.
Following Warka, exploration work will move north-northeast of the Heidrun Field, where ConocoPhillips said it will drill the Slagugle exploration well on production license 891. Holding an 80% working interest, ConocoPhillips also serves as operator. Its partner is Pandion Energy AS.
Recommended Reading
Buffett: ‘No Interest’ in Occidental Takeover, Praises 'Hallelujah!' Shale
2024-02-27 - Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett added that the U.S. electric power situation is “ominous.”
Kissler: OPEC+ Likely to Buoy Crude Prices—At Least Somewhat
2024-03-18 - By keeping its voluntary production cuts, OPEC+ is sending a clear signal that oil prices need to be sustainable for both producers and consumers.
Valaris’ 1Q Sets Positive Tone for Offshore
2024-05-06 - Coming out of first-quarter 2024, drilling contractor Valaris expects a sustained upcycle for the offshore drilling industry supported by demand growth, OPEC+ production cuts and supportive commodity prices.
Aramco Reports Second Highest Net Income for 2023
2024-03-15 - The year-on-year decline was due to lower crude oil prices and volumes sold and lower refining and chemicals margins.
CorEnergy Infrastructure to Reorganize in Pre-packaged Bankruptcy
2024-02-26 - CorEnergy, coming off a January sale of its MoGas and Omega pipeline and gathering systems, filed for bankruptcy protect after reaching an agreement with most of its debtors.