Krafla yields oil close to Oseberg

Offshore staff

STAVANGER, Norway – Statoil has proven oil in the Krafla structure in the North Sea, 26 km (16 mi) south of the Oseberg South field. The discovery could contain 12.5-56.5 MMbbl of recoverable oil equivalent.

Well 30/11-8 S was drilled by the semisub Ocean Vanguard in block 30/11, encountering a 200-m (656-ft) column in good-quality Brnet Group reservoir rocks. However, a secondary exploration target in the Palaeocene was dry.

“Previously, six exploration wells have been drilled in block 30/11 without commercial success, so we are very pleased that Statoil seems to have made a fasttrack discovery in our first operated well in this license,” said Tom Dreyer, exploration manager for the Northern North Sea.

“Although data collection is still ongoing, the results so far clearly indicate that this is an oil discovery. If this is the case then we have unlocked the exploration potential of this area and have several follow-up opportunities.”

Following completion of the well, the rig will drill side track 30/11-8 A on the Krafla West prospect in Brent Group mid-Jurassic rocks.

Statoil says Krafla likely will be developed via tieback to a subsea installation in the Oseberg area. Licensees in PL035/PL272 are: Statoil (operator 50%), Det norske oljeselskap (25%); and Svenska Petroleum Exploration (25%).

Krafla is 16 km (9.9 mi) from the Katla prospect, proven in 2009. Statoil recently submitted a plan for development and production (PDO) for Katla.

05/10/2011