Statoil Makes Minor Gas Discovery Near Aasta Hansteen

Statoil made a gas discovery in the Roald Rygg prospect at the PL602 in the Norwegian sea, arguing that this is the second discovery in the Aasta Hansteen area in spring 2015. The first exploration well in production licence 602, which was awarded in 2011, proved a ‘a minor gas discovery near the Aasta Hansteen field,’ wrote the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. 

“Statoil has completed a targeted two-well exploration programme around Aasta Hansteen which aimed to test additional potential in the area and make the Aasta Hansteen project more robust. Both wells, Snefrid Nord and Roald Rygg, have resulted in interesting discoveries, which will now be further evaluated for future tie-in to the Aasta Hansteen infrastructure,” Irene Rummelhoff, senior vice president exploration Norway in Statoil, commented in a note released on Monday.  

According to the Norwegian company, the well proved a 38-metre gas column with very good reservoir quality. Statoil estimates the volumes in the range 12-44 million boe.

‘Roald Rygg is located less than 7 kilometres west of the Snefrid Nord discovery. The estimated total volumes in the two discoveries correspond to about 25% of the Aasta Hansteen recoverable volumes’ Statoil wrote. 

Statoil Petroleum AS is the operator of the production licence, and holds a 42.5% working interest. Petoro AS (20%), Centrica Resources (Norge) AS (20%), Wintershall Norge AS (10%) and Atlantic Petroleum Norge AS (7.5%).