Dry well near the Solveig field in the North Sea – 16/4-12

Illustration photo.

Illustration photo.

10/8/2021 Lundin Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 981, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 16/4-12.

The well was drilled about 1 kilometre west of the Solveig field in the North Sea and 190 kilometres west of Stavanger.

The well’s primary exploration target was to prove petroleum in sandstones in the Ty Formation from the Palaeocene. The secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in porous dolomite in the Zechstein Group from the Permian Age.

The well encountered 58 metres of sandstone in the Ty Formation with good to very good reservoir quality.

In the secondary exploration target, the well encountered 12 metres of dolomitic rocks in the Zechstein Group with poor to moderate reservoir quality.

Well 16/4-12 also encountered two intervals of sandstone from an undefined age between the Cretaceous and Triassic. The upper interval has a thickness of 16 metres with moderate to good reservoir quality. The lower interval has a thickness of 15 metres with good to very good reservoir quality.

The well is dry. Data acquisition has been carried out.

This is the first exploration well in production licence 981, which was awarded in APA 2018.

Well 16/4-12 was drilled to a vertical depth of 2141 metres below sea level and was terminated in the Zechstein Group from the Permian Age.

Water depth at the site is 100 metres. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.

Well 16/4-12 was drilled by the Deepsea Stavanger drilling facility, which is now moving on to drill wildcat well 17/8-1 in production licence 976 in the North Sea, where Lundin Energy Norway AS is the operator.

Map of well 16-4-12

 

Contact

Ola Anders Skauby

Director Communication, public affairs and emergency response

Tel: +47 905 98 519

Updated: 10/8/2021

Latest news

Appraisal well in the North Sea increases projection (16/1-EA-4 H)
9/25/2026 Aker BP and its partners Equinor and DNO have drilled an appraisal well on the "Verdandi" and "Lillefix" discoveries in the North Sea. This well increases the projected discovery size.
Production figures August 2026
9/22/2026 Preliminary production figures for August 2026 show an average daily production of 2 073 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.
Aker BP has made a gas discovery in the North Sea (36/4-2 and 36/4-2 A)
9/16/2026 Preliminary calculations show that the size is between 0.15 and 2.4 million standard cubic metres of recoverable oil equivalent (Sm3 of o.e.), which corresponds to 1-15 million barrels.
Drilling permit for wellbore 25/9-5 S
9/15/2026 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for wellbore 25/9-5 S in production licence 1042.
Growing exploration interest
9/11/2026 The authorities have received applications from 21 companies in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2025. The deadline for applications was 1 September.
New NCS map 2026
9/8/2026 You can now download or order a printed version of the Directorate's most recent map of the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
Resource report 2026 in English
9/8/2026 The Resource report is now also available in English.
New director at the Norwegian Offshore Directorate
9/7/2026 Siv Fagerland Christensen has taken up her position as Director of governance, finance and shared services.
Register for our seminar on sub-basalt exploration
8/31/2026 Welcome to a seminar on sub-basalt exploration on 15 October 2026 at our offices. The seminar speakers will represent operators, suppliers, academia and the authorities.
Okea receives award for improved recovery on its oil fields
8/25/2026 This year's winner of the Norwegian Offshore Directorate's “Improved Recovery Award” has worked systematically to revitalise the Draugen and Brage fields.