Statoil releases details of gas discovery at Valemon facility, North Sea

STAVANGER, Norway -- Statoil Petroleum, operator of production license 193 D, has completed drilling operations on wildcat well 34/11-6 S, in 133 m of water 160 km northwest of Bergen, North Sea

The objective of the well was to prove petroleum in the middle Jurassic (Brent group). Data acquisition was performed. The well encountered two gas columns of about 80 m and 35 m in the Tarbert and Ness formations, respectively. There were 50 m of sandstone with moderate to good reservoir quality in the Tarbert formation and 10 m of sandstone with poor reservoir quality in the Ness formation.

The 34/11-6 S is the first exploration well in production license 193 D and was drilled to a vertical depth of 4,337 m below the sea surface. It terminated in the Drake formation in the lower to middle Jurassic. The venture was drilled by the West Elara drilling facility, which is permanently stationed at the Valemon facility.

Preliminary estimates place the size of the discovery between 3 - 8 MMscm of recoverable oil equivalents. The well will be completed and start production from the Valemon facility.