Norway: Lundin Drills a Duster in the North Sea

Lundin Norway AS, operator of production licence 400, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 3/8-1. The well was drilled about 7 kilometres east of the Trym discovery in the southern part of the North Sea.

The primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Permian resevoir rocks (the Rotligende group). The secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Paleocene and Lower Cretaceous reservoir rocks(Borr formation and Ran formation). Rotligende was encountered as predicted, but with poorer reservoir quality than expected. The Borr formation had the expected reservoir quality, while the Ran formation was not encountered

The well is the first exploration well in production licence 400. The licence was awarded in APA 2006.

The well was drilled to a vertical depth of approximately 4 070 metres below the sea surface, and was terminated in the Rotligende group in Permian. The water depth at the site is 65 meters. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.

Well 3/8-1 was drilled by the drilling facility Maersk Guardian, which will now proceed to the Varg field in production licence 038 in the North Sea, where Talisman is operator.

Lundin Norway AS is the operator of production licence 400 with a 50 per cent ownership interest. The partners are Noreco ASA with a 30 per cent interest and Petoro AS with a 20 per cent interest

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Source: NPD, December 13, 2010;