Offshore staff
ABERDEEN -- Centrica Resources has discovered gas and condensate on the Fogelberg prospect in license PL433 in the Norwegian Sea. Following a period of coring and data acquisition, the well reached a vertical depth of 4,736 m (15,538 ft) subsea and was terminated in the Åre formation in lower Jurassic.
According to partner Faroe Petroleum, the aim of the well had been to prove hydrocarbons in the Garn, Ile, Tofte and Tilje Formations in middle and lower Jurassic reservoirs. Gas and condensate were encountered in the Garn and Ile formations, but the fluid contacts and content within the deeper Tofte and Tilje formations have yet to be established, although they may be water bearing.
Faroe estimates reserves in the range 105-530 bcf (19-95 MMboe) of recoverable gas and condensate. Uncertainty over volumes is due to the position of the Fogelberg well, which was drilled relatively high up on the structure. Appraisal drilling will likely be required to prove the down-dip extent and to firm up the size of the discovery.
Fogelberg is 18 km (11 mi) northwest of the producing Åsgard complex, which processes large quantities of gas and condensate for onward transport to mainland Europe via Norway’s Gassled pipeline system.
Well 6506/9-2 was drilled in 281 m (922 ft) water depth by the semisub West Alpha, which is now heading to license PL 470 in the Norwegian Sea to drill another wildcat for Centrica, well 6407/12-3.
Graham Stewart, chief executive of Faroe Petroleum, says: “Fogelberg is Faroe’s first Norwegian discovery and in addition to its commercial potential, we believe we may have now unlocked the considerable upside in our license position in this core Halten Terrace area in which we hold six further licenses.
“The Fogelberg well is the first of a firm five-well exploration drilling program which Faroe Petroleum is participating in through 2010. The second well in the program, to be operated by Wintershall, is the Maria well (Faroe 30%) which is scheduled to commence drilling in the next few weeks.
“We are also scheduled to drill three further high impact exploration wells: the Anne Marie oil prospect in the Faroes (operated by Eni), the Cardhu oil prospect in the UK (operated by BP), and the Lagavulin oil prospect in the UK (operated by Chevron).”
4/23/2010
