Equinor proves minor gas accumulation close to Johan Castberg

Equinor and its partners have made a small gas discovery close to the recently onstream Johan Castberg Field in the Barents Sea.

The COSL Prospector semisub drilled well 7220/9-1 on the Skred prospect in 415 m of water, 23 km north of the Johan Castberg discovery well 7220/8-1 and 210 km northwest of Hammerfest. 

According to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, early indications suggest 0.3 Bcm to 0.5 Bcm recoverable or 1.9 MMboe to 3.1 MMboe. The partners will assess a potential tie-in to the Johan Castberg facilities.

This was the 15th exploration well on production license 532, awarded in 2009.

The well encountered a 14-m gas column in sandstone in the Middle Jurassic Stø Formation, with good reservoir quality, and further gas in a 3-m sandstone layer in the lower part of the Nordmela Formation.

Drilling also encountered oil above the main target but in a poor-to-moderate reservoir.

The well was terminated in the Late Triassic Fruholmen Formation and will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.