Equinor has found more oil in the Johan Castberg Field in the Barents Sea.
The exploration well 7720/7-DD-1H on the Drivis Tubåen structure, drilled by the semisub Transocean Enabler in 345 m of water, proved oil in the previously untested Tubåen Formation, 1,769 m subsurface.
Early analysis suggests volumes in the range 9 MMbbl to 15 MMbbl. Equinor and its partners will consider a tie-in to the newly established infrastructure.
This was the 14th exploration well on production license 532, which was awarded in 2009. Transocean Enabler has since resumed production drilling operations on the Johan Castberg Field.
“The Johan Castberg volume base was originally estimated at 450-650 MMbbl; our clear ambition is to increase the reserves by another 250-550 MMbbl," said Grete Birgitte Haaland, Equinor's senior vice president for Exploration & Production North. “To realize this, we are planning six new exploration wells and continuous exploration activity. At the same time, we will develop Isflak as a rapid field expansion with planned startup in 2028."
Other partners in the Johan Castberg license are Vår Energi and Petoro.
