Equinor and its license partners Source Energy AS and Wellesley Petroleum AS have discovered gas and condensate in exploration well 30/2-5 S Atlantis. Based on preliminary estimates the proven reserves are between 3 and 10 million standard cubic meters of recoverable oil equivalent, corresponding to 19-63 million barrels of oil equivalent.

“It is encouraging to see that we are able to keep proving more resources in one of the most mature areas on the Norwegian continental shelf. Now we will work on evaluating the potential for profitable and CO₂ efficient recovery,” says Nick Ashton, Equinor’s senior vice president for exploration in Norway and the UK.

The well was drilled approximately 17 kilometers south of the Kvitebjørn field and 10 kilometers north of Huldra.

Nick Ashton, Equinor’s senior vice president for exploration in Norway and the UK. (Photo: Ole Jørgen Bratland / Equinor ASA)

The primary exploration target of exploration well 30/2-5 S was to prove hydrocarbons in the Middle Jurassic reservoir of the Brent Group. The well encountered about a 160-metre high gas column, of which 60 meters represent an effective Middle Jurassic reservoir rock. Poor to satisfactory reservoir quality was encountered in the Ness, Etive and Tarbert formation, while the Rannoch formation had poor reservoir quality.

The well was not formation tested however extensive amounts of data have been acquired and samples have been taken. The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 4359 meters below sea level. Water depth in the area is 142 meters. The well was permanently plugged and abandoned.

This is the first exploration well to be drilled in production license 878. The license was awarded in the Awards in Predefined Areas 2016 (APA 2016). The license owners will consider whether to pursue the discovery in an overall assessment of the area.

The well was drilled by the West Hercules drilling rig, which is moving on to drill exploration well 35/11-24 S, a prospect named Swisher, in production license 248 C.

The license owners of production license 878 are Equinor Energy AS (60%), Source Energy (20%) and Wellesley Petroleum AS (20%).