The drilling was conducted by the Deepsea Stavanger drilling rig. (Photo: Odfjell Drilling)
22/01/2024
Equinor Energy AS has discovered oil in exploration well 30/12-3 S in the North Sea. The well also included a sidetrack, 30/12-3 A, which was dry.
The wells were drilled about 40 kilometres south of Oseberg and 150 kilometres west of Bergen. The drilling was conducted by the Deepsea Stavanger drilling rig.
Equinor drilled the well on behalf of Aker BP, which is the operator of production licence 272 B. This is the first well in the production licence.
Aker BP and Equinor each have ownership interests of 50 per cent in the production licence, which was awarded in APA 2018. The production licence is part of the Munin field, which was discovered in 2011. The authorities approved the plan for development and operation (PDO) for Munin in June 2023.
Between 0.15 and 0.55 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalent (o.e.) was proven in well 30/12-3 S.
Preliminary calculations show that the discovery is not profitable with current price assumptions.
Geological information
The objective of wildcat wells 30/12-3 S and 30/12-3 A was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks in the Tarbert Formation.
Well 30/12-3 S encountered a 3.5-metre oil column in the Tarbert Formation, in a sandstone reservoir with moderate reservoir quality. The Tarbert Formation was about 195 metres thick, 97 metres of which was sandstone rocks with moderate-good reservoir quality. The oil/water contact was encountered 3110 meters below sea level.
The Ness Formation was about 163 metres thick in total, 19 metres of which was a sandstone reservoir with moderate reservoir quality.
Well 30/12-3 A encountered the Tarbert Formation with a thickness of about 216 meters, 19 meters of which was sandstone rocks with poor reservoir quality. The Ness Formation was about 50 metres thick in total, 11 metres of which was a sandstone reservoir with moderate reservoir quality. The well was dry.
The wells were not formation-tested, but data acquisition was undertaken.
Well 30/12-3 S was drilled to measured and vertical depths of 3696 metres and 3464 metres below sea level, respectively, and was terminated in the Drake Formation. Well 30/12-3 A was drilled to measured and vertical depths of 4550 and 3718 metres below sea level, respectively, and was terminated in the Ness Formation. Water depth in the area is 106 metres. The well has now been permanently plugged and abandoned.
Updated: 27/06/2024
Latest news
31/01/2025
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Vår Energi ASA drilling permit for wellbore 7/1-4 S in production licence 1090, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.
22/01/2025
Orlen Upstream Norway and its partner Norske Shell have drilled a dry well, wildcat well 6305/10-1 “Tomcat”, in the southern part of the Norwegian Sea.
21/01/2025
Preliminary production figures for December 2024 show an average daily production of 2 017 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.
21/01/2025
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted OMV (Norge) AS drilling permit for wellbore 35/6-6 in production licence 1109, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.
17/01/2025
Vår Energi ASA and its partners found gas in the “Elgol” prospect; however, preliminary estimates indicate that the discovery is not profitable given current price assumptions.
14/01/2025
In the 2024 awards in pre-defined areas (APA), 20 companies have been offered ownership interests in a total of 53 production licences on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
09/01/2025
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate’s summary of activity on the Norwegian continental shelf in 2024 shows that gas production is higher than ever.
08/01/2025
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted DNO Norge AS drilling permit for wellbore 35/10-15 S in production licence 1182 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.
08/01/2025
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA drilling permit for wellbore 6507/2-8 in production licence 942, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.
