StatoilHydro strikes oil on Dompap off Nordland

Offshore staff

OSLO -- StatoilHydro has made an oil discovery on the Dompap field off the coast of Nordland county in the Norwegian Sea. A sidetrack well to establish the oil/water contact in the discovery is being completed.

The wells proved an oil column of 110 m (361 ft) in the Åre formation, with the sidetrack establishing the oil/water contact. Exploration well 6608/10-12 was drilled to a vertical depth of 3,158 m (10,361 ft) below sea level in 334 m of water, terminating in Lower Jurassic rocks of the Åre formation.

The 6608-12 A sidetrack was drilled to a vertical depth of 2,931 m (9,616 ft) below sea level to terminate in the same formation.

The discovery well is estimated to hold recoverable reserves in the range of 25-50 MMbbl. StatoilHydro is considering developing the field with theNorne production and storage ship.

The company also reports that an exploration well on the Verona has been completed without encountering hydrocarbons.

01/13/2009