Vår Energi has proven oil with an appraisal well on the 2023 Countach discovery, close to the Goliat field in the Barents Sea.
The result has led to an upgrade of the total recoverable resource to 10-55 MMboe. It also confirms the potential of the Goliat ridge, where the company plans further drilling net year targeting an additional 100 MMboe+ recoverable.
The appraisal well encountered oil in the Kobbe formation and an oil column of more than 200 m in the Klappmyss formation. Although reservoir quality here was inferior, it shows there are new opportunities in the deeper section of the Goliat ridge.
According to COO Torger Rød, Vår Energi expects to drill the Zagato North, Zagato South and Goliat North wells in 2025, all on prospects in the Goliat ridge between the Goliat field and Countach, and to commission new 3D and 4D seismic over the area to support further development.
All finds could be developed using spare production capacity at the Goliat FPSO.
The Countach well was the first in a two-year collaborative drilling campaign in the Barents Sea with Goliat partner Equinor, comprising infill production and exploration wells.
Over a four-year period, Vår Energi is aiming to drill around 20 exploration wells in the Barents Sea region as its seeks to sustain its Norwegian production at 350-400,000 boe/d over the long term.
The next planed exploration well will be on the Elgol prospect, 17 km northeast of Goliat.
