Aker BP (Aker BP), together with Equinor (Equinor) and DNO (DNO), has conducted evaluation drilling operations in two hydrocarbon fields in the North Sea, off the coast of Norway. These drillings have contributed to an increase in the discovered volume. According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, the drilling of well 16/1-EA-4 H took place in the Verdandi and Lillefix fields.
Drilling Details and Initial Results
Well 16/1-EA-4 H was drilled approximately 200 kilometers west of Stavanger (Stavanger) using the Deepsea Nordkapp drilling rig from Odfjell Drilling. This well was drilled as a horizontal evaluation well from a subsea template in the Symra field and is the eleventh exploratory well in production license 167, which was issued in the thirteenth round of licenses.
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The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 1864 meters below sea level and encountered rock layers from the modern Heimdal Formation. The aim of this drilling was to prove reservoir rocks from the Paleocene period in this formation and to confirm the extent of the reservoir and the hypothetical oil-water contact.
New Results and Assessments
During drilling, the well encountered a gas column of 14 meters and an oil column of 44 meters in the rock layers of the Heimdal Formation. A gas-oil contact was observed at a depth of 1776 meters below sea level. In total, 1515 meters of the reservoir was drilled horizontally in the oil area of the Heimdal Formation, which has average reservoir quality. Data related to liquid samples and pressure points were also collected during this drilling.
Prior to the evaluation drilling, estimates indicated that the discovered volume was between 0.6 to 1.9 million cubic meters of oil equivalent (equivalent to 4 to 12 million barrels). However, initial calculations after drilling show that this volume has increased to 1.3 to 2.4 million cubic meters of oil equivalent (equivalent to 8 to 15 million barrels).
The water depth at the drilling site is 116 meters, and the well has been permanently plugged and abandoned. The drilling partners are now assessing the profitability and the possibility of connecting this discovery to the Symra field.
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