Dry hole for NOIL

Offshore staff

OSLO, Norway --NOIL Energy has failed to prove further oil with an appraisal well in the central Norwegian North Sea.

The semisubmersibleBredford Dolphin drilled the well in an attempt to delimit the 1996 discovery 24/12-3 S, some 20 km (12 mi) west of the Balder field, and 20 km north of the Gudrun discovery.

The appraisal well was terminated in the Heimdal formation in Palaeocene rocks, in a water depth of 116 m (380 ft).

Although the well, was dry, it encountered god quality reservoir sandstone. It also was the first to be drilled in production license 341, awarded under Norway's APA 2004 licensing program.

The rig now will drill an exploration well for Marathon Petroleum Norge in license 311.

12/17/2007