Appraisal Well Indicates Lower Productivity for Total's Field in Barents Sea
France’s Total E&P could reduce its estimates on the Norvarg gas field in the Barents Sea, reads a note released by De norske on Wednesday, explaining that the first assessment of the appraisal well results may indicate gas find smaller than earlier thought.
“First assessment of the appraisal well results indicates that the resource range may have to be reduced on Norvarg, as compared to the initial evaluation from the discovery well,” reads the note, adding that the two formations tests showed a maximum gross production rate of 175,000 standard cubic metres gas per day (approximately 6.2 million standard cubic feet per day).
The appraisal well was drilled approximately 275 kilometres north of the Hammerfest and five kilometres northeast of the Norvarg discovery well, in a water depth of 377 metres. The objective of the well was to delineate and appraise the reservoir quality and productivity of the Triassic Kobbe Formation of the Norvarg gas discovery in the Norwegian Arctic.
Det norske, partner in the licence 535 operated by Total E&P Norge, added that the partnership will analyse and interpret the acquired data to evaluate the prospects of the licence. Total E&P Norge owns 40% of the licence and is the operator. The other partners are North Energy (20%), Ithaca Petroleum Norge (13%), Statoil (10%), Det norske (10%) and Rocksource Exploration Norway (7%).
“The results of the appraisal well have confirmed the extensive nature of the Norvarg discovery and the presence of movable gas throughout the Kobbe reservoir, with no water contacts seen. As predicted the quality of the Kobbe reservoir is variable and further analysis is required to confirm the productivity of some of the reservoir intervals,” reads a note released by Rocksource.
The well, drilled to a vertical depth of 2,171 metres below sea level, will now be permanently plugged and abandoned. This is the second well in PL535, licence awarded in the NCS 20th licensing round in 2009.