Aker BP’s North Sea well comes up dry

Norway’s oil and gas player Aker BP has completed the drilling of an exploration well near the Edvard Grieg field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea but failed to find hydrocarbons.

The well 16/1-35 S, targeting a prospect named Styggehøe, is located in the production license 1141, which is operated by Aker BP with a 70 per cent interest while the remaining 30 per cent interest is held by Equinor. The drilling permit for the well was secured in November 2022.

The well 16/1-35 S was drilled about 6.5 kilometres west of the Edvard Grieg field in the central part of the North Sea and 208 kilometres west of Sandnes. The primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks in the Draupne Formation while the secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks from the Vestland Group.

According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s report on Thursday, the well encountered the Draupne Formation at about 520 metres, including a total of 298 metres of sandstone layers with good reservoir quality. In the secondary exploration target, the well encountered the Vestland Group at 174 metres, 114 metres of which was a sandstone reservoir with moderate to good reservoir quality.

Based on the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s statement, the well 16/1-35 S is dry and data acquisition has been carried out. The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 3,150 metres below sea level and was terminated in the Skagerrak Formation from the Triassic. The water depth at the site is 109 metres and the well has been permanently plugged and abandoned.

The well 16/1-35 S was drilled by Saipem’s Scarabeo 8 semi-submersible rig, which will now drill the wildcat well 25/4-15 in production license 919 in the North Sea, where Aker BP also acts as the operator.

Scarabeo 8 is a sixth-generation dual derrick deepwater semi-submersible drilling rig capable of working in harsh environments with a dynamic positioning system and enhanced mooring capabilities. This rig can accommodate 140 people and its maximum drilling depth is 35,000 ft.