Latest North Sea Verbier well finds no oil

Offshore staff

LONDON – Equinor’s appraisal well on the 2017 Verbier oil discovery in the UK central North Sea was dry, according to partner Jersey Oil & Gas.

Well 20/05b-14, drilled to a TD of 3,784 m (12,415 ft), did not encounter Upper Jurassic sands as expected, and this will likely lead to a downgrade of the resource estimate (the low-end figure was 25 MMboe).

However, the partners will integrate the latest results with processed data from a 3D seismic survey acquired over the area last year in order to assess upside potential for further appraisal activity.

A large part of the mapped area of the discovery, northwest of the 20/05b-14 well location, remains untested, and there could be further resources in a deeper horizon.

These, along with the Cortina prospect, could warrant drilling, depending on a further review of the seismic.

Jersey claimed that even at 25 MMboe Verbier would be commercially viable, for instance, as part of a wider area development plan.

04/03/2019