OMV wraps up Wisting appraisal well

OMV Norge, operator of production licence 537, is in the process of completing the drilling of appraisal well 7324/7-3 S on the 7324/8-1 (Wisting) oil discovery, located in the Barents Sea. 

The well was drilled about 310 km north of Hammerfest by Transocean Spitsbergen semi-submersible drilling rig.

The discovery was proven in reservoir rocks from the Middle and Early Jurassic (upper Realgrunnen subgroup) in 2013. Before well 7324/7-3 S was drilled, the operator’s resource estimate for the Wisting area was between 32 and 80 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalents.

According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), the objective of the well was to confirm the size of the 7324/8-1 discovery in the “Wisting Central Sør” and “Wisting Central Vest” segments. An additional objective was to test whether the well can be drilled horizontally in the shallow reservoir approximately 250 m below the sea surface, as well as to formation-test the Stø formation.

NPD said that the well was drilled with a horizontal section of about 1400 metres. It encountered sandstones in the Stø and Fruholmen formations. The “Wisting Central Sør” segment has good reservoir properties in the Stø formation and moderate reservoir properties in the Fruholmen formation. Reservoir quality in the Stø formation in the “Wisting Central Vest” segment is also good. The oil/water contact was not encountered. The estimate of the discovery size will be updated based on evaluation of the new well data. The result will be important for further maturation of the Wisting area, as regards a potential development.

The agency added that extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out and a successful formation test was conducted in the Stø formation in the “Wisting Central Vest” segment. Maximum production rates were 762 Sm3 of oil and 48 310 Sm3 of associated gas per flow day through a 104/64-inch nozzle opening. The gas/oil ratio is 73 Sm3/Sm3. The formation test revealed production and flow properties that were mainly good.

This is the fifth exploration well in production licence 537. The licence was awarded in the 20th licensing round in 2009.

Appraisal well 7324/7-3 S was drilled to vertical and measured depths of 673 and 2314 metres, respectively, below the sea surface, and was terminated in the Stø formation from the Middle Jurassic Age. Water depth in the area is 402 metres. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.

OMV Norge is the operator with a 25% interest, whilst Tullow (20%), Idemitsu (20%), Statoil (15%) and Petoro (20%) are also partners.

Angus McCoss, Tullow Oil Exploration Director, commented: “This is a very successful appraisal and flow test of Wisting Central. While we are still assessing the positive volume impact across our significant cluster of discoveries in this area, it is clear that having encountered more light oil in excellent reservoirs, with very strong flow rates, this asset clearly offers valuable development potential.”

Johann Pleininger, OMV Executive Board member responsible for Upstream, said: “OMV is very satisfied with the well test results, which are promising. This well is an important milestone towards a future field development on Wisting.”