STAVANGER -- Repsol Norge AS, operator of production licence 705, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 6705/7-1.

The well was drilled about 80 km northwest of Aasta Hansteen field, in the northern part of the Norwegian Sea. The objective of the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Cretaceous reservoir rocks (Nise formation).

Well 6705/7-1 encountered two reservoir intervals with a total thickness of about 200 m of sandstone in the Nise formation with good to moderate reservoir quality. The reservoir rocks only contain weak traces of gas. The well is classified as dry. Data acquisition and sampling were carried out.

This is the first exploration well in production licence 705. The licence was awarded in the 22nd licensing round in 2013.

Well 6705/7-1 was drilled to a vertical depth of 3,250 m below the sea surface and was terminated in the Nise formation in the Upper Cretaceous. Water depth at the site is 1,404 m. The well has now been permanently plugged and abandoned. It was drilled by the Transocean Spitsbergen drilling facility. Following a short break, the rig will proceed to the UK shelf to drill three wells for Statoil.