Lundin: Good results from Johan Sverdrup appraisal wells

Lundin Petroleum has informed that the Johan Sverdrup appraisal wells 16/3-8 S and 16/3-8 S T2, located in the eastern part of PL501, in the Norwegian North Sea, have been successfully completed.

Appraisal well 16/3-8 S is located on the Avaldsnes High, in the eastern part of the Johan Sverdrup discovery. The well was drilled approximately 4 km south-east of the discovery well 16/2-6 and approximately 3 km west of appraisal well 16/3-4. The purpose of the well was to investigate the thickness and quality of the late Jurassic Draupne sandstone reservoir as well as the Permian Zechstein carbonates.

The well 16/3-8 S encountered an oil filled reservoir consisting of 13 metres of late Jurassic Draupne sandstone with excellent reservoir quality and a very high net to gross ratio. A production test (DST) has been performed in this interval and flowed at a rate of 4,900 bbl/d of oil through a 52/64″ choke. The pressure data information has proven exceptional production properties and lateral extension over an extensive area of the Avaldsnes High location. The DST showed that some of the best reservoir quality is found in the central area of the Avaldsnes High with an exceptionally high permeabilty of 65 Darcy and no flow restrictions within 3 to 4 km of radius of investigation. This is the 5th well that has been production tested (DST) in PL501 and the investigated area now covers a majority of the Avaldsnes High area.

The well 16/3-8 S also encountered 67 metres of Zechstein carbonates with variable, but mostly tight, reservoir quality with oil shows. The oil water contact is interpreted at 1,925 metres below mean sea level (MSL) with oil sampled at 1,924.5 metres below MSL.

The well was drilled to a total vertical depth of 2,010.5 metres below MSL into sediments of Permian age. A comprehensive coring and logging program has been successfully completed.

A technical side-track, 16/3-8 S T2, was drilled to investigate petrophysical properties in the reservoir. This data were successfully acquired and is being analysed.

Ashley Heppenstall, President and CEO of Lundin Petroleum said: “The test results from this well are as good as anything previously encountered on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Prior to drilling this well there was a risk that the good quality Volgian reservoir thinned out or even disappeared on the Avaldsnes High area of the Johan Sverdrup field. This well has proven that this is certainly not the case and the Volgian reservoir is contiguous over this area.”

The well was drilled using the semi-submersible drilling rig Bredford Dolphin. 

Lundin Norway is the operator in PL501 with a 40 percent interest. The partners are Statoil Petroleum AS with 40 percent interest and Maersk Oil Norway AS with a 20 percent interest.