Gas discovery in the Barents Sea (7122/9-2)
The well was drilled by the Cosl Prospector rig. (Photo: Cosl)
1/17/2025 Vår Energi ASA and its partners found gas in the “Elgol” prospect; however, preliminary estimates indicate that the discovery is not profitable given current price assumptions.
Exploration well 7122/9-2 is the first in production licence 1131, which was awarded in 2021 (Awards in predefined areas 2020). “Elgol” is included in Vår’s ongoing exploration campaign in the Barents Sea, and exploration activity will continue throughout this year and in 2026. The next well is 7122/8-3 S “Zagato”.
Preliminary estimates indicate the size of the discovery is between 0.4 - 3 million standard cubic metres of oil equivalent, which corresponds to 2.6-19 million barrels of oil equivalent.
The well was drilled by the Cosl Prospector rig.
Geological information
The objective of the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Permian reservoir rocks in the Ørret Formation.
Well 7122/9-2 encountered a 1.5-metre gas column in a sandstone reservoir in the Ørret Formation, where reservoir properties were moderate. The remainder of the reservoir in the Ørret Formation totalled 28 metres with variable, generally poor reservoir quality. The gas/water contact was not encountered.
The well was not formation-tested, but data acquisition and sampling have been carried out.
The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 1844 metres below sea level, and was terminated in the Ørret Formation in the Upper Permian.
Water depth at the site is 415 metres. The well has been permanently plugged and abandoned.
Updated: 1/17/2025