Aker BP and its partners have discovered gas in wildcat well 7324/8-4 (Hassel) in the Barents Sea, around 300 kilometres from the northern coast of Norway.
This is the second well to be drilled in production licence 1170, which was awarded in APA 2021. Gas was also recently proven in the first well in the production licence, 7324/6-2. Both wells were drilled by the Scarabeo 8 rig.
Preliminary estimates indicate the size of the discovery at between 0.51 – 0.7 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of oil equivalent (o.e.). This corresponds to 3.23 – 4.42 million bbls o.e.
The licensees will assess the discovery together with other discoveries and prospects in the area, with a view toward a potential development.
Wells 7324/6-2 and 7324/8-4 were drilled in the Hoop fault complex, in the same vicinity as the 7324/8-1 (Wisting) and 7324/7-2 (Hanssen) oil discoveries. Several wells have been drilled earlier in other production licences in the area, some of which resulted in discoveries (7325/4-1 (Gemini Nord), 7324/9 (Mercury), 7324/6-1 (Sputnik), 7324/3-1 (Intrepid Eagle) and 7325/1-1 (Atlantis)). A couple of dry wells have also been drilled.
The licensees in the production licences in this area are Equinor, Aker BP, Petoro and Inpex Idemitsu.
Geological information
The objective of the well was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic to Upper Triassic reservoir rocks in the Stø and Fruholmen formations.
Well 7324/8-4 encountered a 30-metre reservoir zone in the Stø and Fruholmen formations, with an 11-metre gas column, a total of 8 metres of which in sandstone layers with very good reservoir quality.
The gas/water contact was encountered 686 metres below sea level.
The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out.
Well 7324/8-4 was drilled to a vertical depth of 781 metres below sea level, and was terminated in the Snadd Formation in the Upper Triassic.
Water depth at the site is 401 metres. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.