Aker BP Makes North Sea Gas Discovery Near Duva Field
Aker BP has made a gas discovery in the Norwegian North Sea about 25 kilometers north of the Duva field, according to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.
Preliminary estimates put recoverable resources at between 0.15 million and 2.4 million standard cubic meters of oil equivalent, equivalent to roughly 1 million to 15 million barrels of oil equivalent.
The discovery was made at the Alpehumle prospect with well 36/4-2 in production license 1153. It was the first exploration well drilled in the license, which was awarded under Norway's 2021 Awards in Predefined Areas licensing round.
The well encountered a 10-meter gas column in the Early Cretaceous Agat Formation, entirely within sandstone layers that the regulator described as having very good reservoir quality. However, the well did not establish the hydrocarbon-water contact.
A sidetrack, 36/4-2 A, was drilled to further delineate the discovery and determine the hydrocarbon-water contact. It encountered four meters of high-quality sandstone in the Agat Formation, but the reservoir at that location was water-bearing.
The results leave a wide preliminary resource range, and the license partners will now assess whether the discovery could be commercially viable and whether further appraisal drilling is warranted.
The discovery's location near existing North Sea fields could become an important factor in any future development assessment, as operators across the mature Norwegian Continental Shelf increasingly target resources that may benefit from proximity to established infrastructure.
Aker BP holds a 40% interest in production license 1153. Inpex Idemitsu owns 30%, OKEA holds 20%, and Harbour Energy owns the remaining 10%.
The Scarabeo 8 rig drilled the wells in approximately 255 meters of water. Both wells will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.
Aker BP is focused on exploration, development, and oil and gas production on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker AKRBP.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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