Offshore staff
STAVANGER, Norway – Statoil has proved further oil in the Gullfaks area of the North Sea. It estimates volumes in the range 1.9-6.9 MMboe.
The well was drilled by the COSL Pioneer in 135 m (443 ft) of water in production license 152, around 7 km (4.3 mi) south of the 33/12-8 S oil/gas discovery on Skinfaks Sør. The latter is southwest of Gullfaks Sør in the northern Norwegian North Sea.
An 80-m (262-ft) light oil column was encountered in Mid-Jurassic reservoir rocks (Brent group). Statoil is evaluating how to connect the find to infrastructure in the area.
“Our exploration strategy for the Norwegian continental shelf focuses both on high-impact discoveries and what we call time-critical ILX, which is exploration close to installations that within a couple of years will have the capacity to receive the oil and gas we find,” said Statoil’s Tore Løseth.
When Gullfaks was discovered in 1978, it contained an estimated 2.5 Bboe. Subsequent finds at Gullfaks South, Rimfaks and Valemon have added a further 1 Bboe to the area.
This latest discovery was Statoil’s fourth in the Gullfaks region over the past 10 months, the others being Rutil, Opal, and Brent 10 A/B. Collectively they should add 50-100 MMboe.
In 2012, 40% of Statoil’s exploration wells offshore Norway will be in the ILX category, other target areas being close to Oseberg and Snorre in the North Sea and to Norne in the Norwegian Sea.
The COSL Pioneer rig will next transfer to Oseberg/Crux in PL 53 for exploration drilling.
01/04/2012
