Neptune Energy has discovered commercial oil at the Ofelia exploration well in PL929, confirming the high prospectivity potential around the Gjøa platform in the Norwegian North Sea.
ESTIMATES
The company said it had completed drilling Ofelia well 35/6-3 S and encountered oil in the Agat formation.
“The preliminary estimate of recoverable volume is in the range of 2.5-6.2 million standard cubic meters (MSm3) or 16-39 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe).
“In addition to the Agat volumes, north of the well there is an upside of around 10 mmboe recoverable gas in the shallower Kyrre formation, which brings the total recoverable volume to approximately 26-49 mmboe.”
Ofelia lies at a water depth of 344 metres and 15km north of the Neptune operated Gjøa platform.
The company will consider the well for development as a tie-back to Gjøa, in parallel with the company’s recent oil and gas discovery at Hamlet.
The platform is electrified with power from shore and produces at less than half the average carbon intensity of Norwegian continental shelf fields.
The Ofelia drilling programme confirmed an oil/water contact at 2,639 metres total vertical depth.
GEOLOGICAL PLAY
The Ofelia discovery is Neptune’s third in the Agat formation, a reservoir which until recently was not part of established exploration models on the Norwegian Shelf.
The first was at the Duva field, which is now onstream, and the second was Hamlet with estimated recoverable volumes between 8-24 mmboe.
Neptune said that the three discoveries contributed to opening a new geological play in Norway and could add additional new volumes to the Gjøa facilities.
“The Ofelia discovery underlines the strength of our exploration strategy and confirms the high prospectivity potential of the area around Gjøa, where we have several more exciting exploration opportunities,” added Neptune director of exploration & development in Norway, Steinar Meland.
JOINT VENTURE
The project partners include Neptune as operator (40%), Wintershall Dea (20%), Aker BP ASA – previously Lundin Energy – (10%), Pandion Energy (20%) and DNO (10%).
Ofelia was drilled by the Deepsea Yantai, a semi-submersible rig, owned by CIMC and operated by Odfjell Drilling.