Offshore staff
TRONDHEIM, Norway -- Det norske oljeselskap has discovered more oil while appraising the Draupne field in the Norwegian North Sea.
The company claims this is now shaping up as one of the largest oil discoveries on the Norwegian shelf in recent years, with a fast-track development on the cards.
Detnor believes that a combined development involving Draupne and two neighboring discoveries to the north and west, Hanz and West Cable, would deliver a total recoverable resource of 110-150 MMboe.
Chief Executive Erik Haugane said: “The volumes we are looking at now are larger than previously estimated, and we will continue to work on development solutions that could yield first oil already in 2014. With support from our partners, we could file a plan for development and production next year.
“The proven hydrocarbons have good characteristics. This forms the basis for a development with robust economics.”
The semisubmersible Songa Delta, which drilled the latest well, will now mobilize to drill for Wintershall in license PL 475. The rig’s next assignment for Det norske will be a well on the Stirby prospect in PL 341, due to spud in July.
Det norske was less fortunate with its latest exploration effort in license 337, on the Storkollen prospect. Well 15/12-22, drilled by the semisub Bredford Dolphin, was designed to prove hydrocarbons in Jurassic and Upper Triassic reservoir rocks (Vestland- and Hegre Groups).
It did prove good reservoir development, but the sands were not hydrocarbon-bearing. Nor were hydrocarbons encountered in the Lower Tertiary.
The location was in between the Sleipner and Varg fields, and around 7 km (4.3 mi) southeast of Talisman’s recent Grevling oil discovery, well 15/12-21/21A.
5/10/2010
