New gas discovery in the Barents Sea
Total has made a gas discovery on the Norvarg project in the Barents Sea in license 535.
The exploration well has not been completed, but preliminary well data indicate gas at three different levels. It is too early to conclude on flow rate characteristics and potential commerciality; therefore the partnership has decided to perform a production test to gather information about reservoir production properties, the company’s web site reads.
The test is planned to be carried out after the well has been drilled to total depth at about 4100 meters. Drilling operations are expected to continue for several weeks. Due to the production test, it is expected that the well will take longer time to complete than previously anticipated.
Ahead of drilling estimates of how much the prospect can contain has varied from Det norske’s 80-160 million barrels of oil equivalents to Rocksource’s 270 million barrels, Offshore.no writes. Statoil’s Skrugard discovery is in comparison estimated to contain 100-150 million barrels.
License owners in the Norvarg project are: Total E&P Norge AS (operator 40%), Det norske oljeselskap ASA (20%), North Energy (20%) and Rocksource (20%). Det norske is the second-largest operating company on the Norwegian Continental Shelf both considering number of operatorships, exploration- and drilling activity. The aggressive exploration program is the largest an independent Norwegian company has ever conducted on the NCS. Det norske will in 2011 participate in over 10 drilling operations as partner or as operator.
