VNG initiates three-well campaign in Norwegian Sea

June 24, 2015
VNG Norge has started a new round of exploration drilling in the Norwegian Sea, designed to prove further reserves close to last year’s Pil and Bue oil discoveries.

Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK – VNG Norge has started a new round of exploration drilling in the Norwegian Sea, designed to prove further reserves close to last year’s Pil and Bue oil discoveries.

The semisubmersibleTransocean Arctic has spudded well 6406/12-4S on the Boomerang prospect in 320 m (1,050 ft) of water in license PL586, at a location 30 km (18.6 mi) southwest of the producing Njord field.

Faroe Petroleum, one of the licensees and a partner in Njord, says the program will target Upper Jurassic reservoirs analogous to those at Pil, Bue, and the Shell-operated Draugen field.

The rig will then drill an updip side track, 6406/12-4A, followed by well 6406/12-5S on the Central Boomerang (Blink) prospect.

Additionally, Faroe and VNG will partner with Shell on a well this summer that will test the Portrush prospect in PL793 in the Norwegian Sea, 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Njord. The main target is along the Vingleia fault in Upper Jurassic reservoirs.

The license was awarded in January under Norway’s 2014 APA licensing round. Faroe says the partners have secured a reduced rig rate – if there is a discovery, it could be included in forthcoming concept selection and development decisions for the greater Njord and Draugen areas.

Otherwise, operator Statoil’s work on the Njord future re-development project is progressing as planned, with concept selection scheduled for mid-2016. Production will likely be suspended from 2Q 2016, followed by tow-to-shore of the Njord A production semi.

In the Norwegian North Sea, Faroe is a partner in the Centrica-operatedButch field discovery. Here several scenarios are under review, encompassing subsea tieback solutions and a fixed jackup. The partners expect to submit a development plan next year.

At the Wintershall-operated Brage complex, one infill well has been completed and brought onstream, with a second spudded and due to come online this fall.

Finally in the UK southern gas basin, where Faroe recently assumed operatorship of theSchooner and Ketch fields, production has continued at stable rates and is currently better than forecast.

06/24/2015