Discovery near the Munin field in the North Sea
The drilling was conducted by the Deepsea Stavanger drilling rig. (Photo: Odfjell Drilling)
22/01/2024 Equinor Energy AS has discovered oil in exploration well 30/12-3 S in the North Sea. The well also included a sidetrack, 30/12-3 A, which was dry.
The wells were drilled about 40 kilometres south of Oseberg and 150 kilometres west of Bergen. The drilling was conducted by the Deepsea Stavanger drilling rig.
Equinor drilled the well on behalf of Aker BP, which is the operator of production licence 272 B. This is the first well in the production licence.
Aker BP and Equinor each have ownership interests of 50 per cent in the production licence, which was awarded in APA 2018. The production licence is part of the Munin field, which was discovered in 2011. The authorities approved the plan for development and operation (PDO) for Munin in June 2023.
Between 0.15 and 0.55 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalent (o.e.) was proven in well 30/12-3 S.
Preliminary calculations show that the discovery is not profitable with current price assumptions.
Geological information
The objective of wildcat wells 30/12-3 S and 30/12-3 A was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks in the Tarbert Formation.
Well 30/12-3 S encountered a 3.5-metre oil column in the Tarbert Formation, in a sandstone reservoir with moderate reservoir quality. The Tarbert Formation was about 195 metres thick, 97 metres of which was sandstone rocks with moderate-good reservoir quality. The oil/water contact was encountered 3110 meters below sea level.
The Ness Formation was about 163 metres thick in total, 19 metres of which was a sandstone reservoir with moderate reservoir quality.
Well 30/12-3 A encountered the Tarbert Formation with a thickness of about 216 meters, 19 meters of which was sandstone rocks with poor reservoir quality. The Ness Formation was about 50 metres thick in total, 11 metres of which was a sandstone reservoir with moderate reservoir quality. The well was dry.
The wells were not formation-tested, but data acquisition was undertaken.
Well 30/12-3 S was drilled to measured and vertical depths of 3696 metres and 3464 metres below sea level, respectively, and was terminated in the Drake Formation. Well 30/12-3 A was drilled to measured and vertical depths of 4550 and 3718 metres below sea level, respectively, and was terminated in the Ness Formation. Water depth in the area is 106 metres. The well has now been permanently plugged and abandoned.
Director Communication, public affairs and emergency response
Updated: 23/01/2024