Centrica has made a natural gas discovery at the Ivory well, in the Production Licence 538 B, offshore Norway.
Atlantic Petroleum, a partner in the licence, has said that the 6707/10-3S well tested the westernmost segment of the Ivory structure, one of several prospects within the license.
The primary objective of the Ivory well, located in the Norwegian Sea, was to prove the presence of hydrocarbons in the Kvitnos Formation sandstones.
A thick, well developed deep marine fan was encountered 61 m shallower than prognosed. The well was drilled down-dip from the crest of the structure and encountered a 12 m gas-zone.
In the Lysing Formation the well penetrated a water-bearing sand. Extensive data acquisition has been performed including cores, fluid samples, pressure points, wireline logs and VSP. The data will now be fully analysed.
Atlantic Petroleum says that further work is needed to evaluate the resource potential of the discovery. If commercial, the discovery can be tied back to the Statoil-operated Aasta Hansteen field, located 20 km to the southwest, and which is due to come on stream in 2017.
The exploration well was drilled to a total depth of 4,264 m below sea level by the West Navigator drill ship. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.
Atlantic Petroleum CEO Ben Arabo , commented: “We are pleased to acknowledge a gas discovery in the Ivory well. The current well tested one segment of the Ivory prospect and results from this first well will help evaluate the full potential of the licence, which is located immediately northeast of the current Aasta Hansteen field development. We are also very pleased with the safe operations led by Centrica and the good collaboration in the partnership.”
Atlantic Petroleum holds a 9% interest in PL528 B. The licence is operated by Centrica with 40% interest. Other partners are Statoil 25%, Wintershall 10%, Rocksource Exploration Norway 10% and Repsol 6%.