Lundin Petroleum AB (Lundin Petroleum) through its wholly owned subsidiary Lundin Norway AS (Lundin Norway) has completed exploration well 16/2-20S, located north of the Johan Sverdrup discovery in PL501, in the North Sea sector of the Norwegian Continental Shelf. A sidetrack well will now be drilled.
Well 16/2-20S explored the Torvastad prospect located in PL501 immediately north of the Johan Sverdrup discovery. The main objectives of the well were to prove the presence of oil-bearing lower Cretaceous/upper Jurassic sandstone and to determine whether the Torvastad structure was in communication with the Johan Sverdrup discovery.
Well 16/2-20S found a lower Cretaceous/upper Jurassic sequence with poor reservoir properties of approximately 24 metres above a water bearing upper Jurassic Draupne sandstone sequence of approximately 10 metres of excellent quality in a 14 meter gross sequence. The 24 metre lower Cretaceous/upper Jurassic reservoir was found according to depth prognosis but is thicker than expected. As a consequence, the Draupne sandstone came in deeper than expected. The water bearing upper Jurassic Draupne sandstone appears to be the same sequence encountered in all Johan Sverdrup wells.
The PL501 licensees have decided to drill a side-track at 16/2-20S approximately 770 metres west of the 16/2-20S target location. The sidetrack well will investigate the potential of an up-flank continuous Draupne sandstone and to establish an oil water contact. The side-track is estimated to take approximately 20 days.
Well 16/2-20S was drilled to a total depth of 2,070 metres below mean sea level into basement rocks. A comprehensive coring and logging program has been successfully completed.
The well was drilled using the semi-submersible drilling rig Island Innovator which will now continue drilling the 16/2-20A side-track in PL501.
Lundin Norway is the operator in PL501 with 40 percent interest. Partners are Statoil Petroleum AS with 40 percent interest and Maersk Oil Norway AS with 20 percent interest.