Wintershall Cuts Balderbrå Discovery Estimate After Appraisal Duster
Wintershall Dea Norge has reduced the size estimate of its Baldebra discovery in the Norwegian Sea, after an appraisal well near the 2018 gas find proved dry.
The 6604/5-1 gas discovery was proven in Upper Cretaceous reservoir rocks (the Springar Formation) in 2018. Prior to drilling the appraisal well, the operator estimated resources at between 7 and 19 billion standard cubic meters (Sm3) of recoverable gas and between 1 and 3 million Sm3 of recoverable condensate.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate said Wednesday that Wintershall Dea Norge was in the process of concluding the drilling of the appraisal well 6604/5-2 S, in the production license PL 894.
The objective of the well, drilled by Saipem’s Scarabeo 8 semi-submersible drilling rig, was to delineate the Balderbrå discovery.
“The well encountered the Springar Formation in three intervals totaling 210 meters, with a total of about 140 meters of sandstone with poor reservoir quality. Only traces of gas were encountered, and pressure communication with the discovery well has not been confirmed. The well is classified as dry,” the NPD said.
Size reduced
According to the NPD, resource estimates for the discovery have been reduced to between 3 and 8 billion Sm3 of recoverable gas and between 0.2 and 1 million Sm3 of recoverable condensate. The licensees will assess the discovery together with other discoveries in the area for further follow-up.
This is the third exploration well in production license 894, which was awarded in APA 2016.
The appraisal well was drilled to a vertical depth of 3816 meters and a measured depth of 4121 meters below sea level, and the well was terminated in the Springar Formation in the Upper Cretaceous. The water depth at the site is 1207 meters. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.
The rig will now drill wildcat well 6406/3-10 – the Bergknapp prospect – in production license 836 S in the Norwegian Sea, where Wintershall Dea Norge AS is the operator.
Source: www.oedigital.com
