OREANDA-NEWS. Statoil together with PL265 partners have drilled an important appraisal well in the western part of the Johan Sverdrup field.

The well drilled by the Ocean Vanguard rig, consisted of a main wellbore 16/2-17S which was an appraisal in the western part of Johan Sverdrup, and a sidetrack 16/2-17B which tested potential in the Cliffhanger South area west of the current outline of the Johan Sverdrup field.

The main wellbore 16/2-17S found a gross 82-m oil column in Jurassic sandstones and demonstrated test production of almost 6,000 barrels per day and exceptional flow properties in the upper part of the reservoir.
"Well results confirm the extent of the reservoir along the western margin of the field and excellent reservoir characteristics we have seen elsewhere in the Johan Sverdrup field. This is important input for the further planning of the field development," says Oivind Reinertsen, senior vice president for Johan Sverdrup field development.

The sidetrack 16/2-17B did not encounter Jurassic reservoir, and Cliffhanger South is therefore classified dry. Ciffhanger South was defined as a separate target in PL265, and the outcome of the sidetrack does not have impact on volume estimates for Johan Sverdrup.

"Statoil still sees potential in the Cliffhanger North area based on seismic data and our geological models, and will test it with a dedicated well later this summer," says Gro G. Haatvedt, senior vice president exploration Norway.

Sidetrack 16/2-17B tested also a secondary target in the granitic basement of the Utsira High. The core samples from this section contained oil shows, but were confirmed to be non-producible. The findings reduce the possibility for upside potential in the basement section in the Johan Sverdrup area.