Equinor ASA and its partners have proven natural gas and condensate in production license 1119 in the Halten area of the Norwegian Sea.
Preliminary estimates from the drilling of the Mistral Sør exploration well, or well 6406/6-7 S, indicate 3-7 million standard cubic meters of oil equivalent in recoverable resources, corresponding to 19-44 million barrels of oil equivalent, according to the Norwegian majority state-owned company.
“The licensees’ assessment is that this is a commercial discovery, and they will consider tie-back to existing infrastructure or development together with other discoveries in the area”, Equinor said in an online statement.
“Mistral Sør is situated just a short distance north of Linnorm, the largest gas discovery on the Norwegian continental shelf that has yet to be developed”, Equinor noted. It has raised its stake in Linnorm to 50 percent after acquiring Shell PLC’s operating 30 percent interest, in a transaction completed April 2024. Linnorm is estimated to hold about 25-30 billion cubic meters (882.87 billion-1.06 trillion cubic feet) of recoverable gas, according to Equinor.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate said separately, “Wildcat well 6406/6-7 S is the first well drilled by the licensees in production license 1119, but the fifth within the license area as a whole”.
Grete B. Haaland, Equinor senior vice president for Exploration & Production North, commented, “Norwegian gas is in high demand and is crucial to Europe’s energy security”.
“That’s why it’s important for us to continue exploring and making new discoveries so we can maintain a high level of deliveries”, Haaland added.
“This discovery was made in an area where gas infrastructure is already in place, and which we’re also continuing to develop. We have active exploration efforts underway in this area, which have resulted in several discoveries in recent years”.
The drilling of Mistral Sør, conducted by Odfjell Drilling Ltd.’s Deepsea Atlantic, aimed to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic sandstones in the Garn Formation, with a secondary target in the Ile Formation.
“Well 6406/6-7 S encountered an approx. 45-meter hydrocarbon column in the Garn Formation, with good reservoir properties”, Equinor said. It was drilled to a vertical depth of 4,024 meters below sea level and terminated in the Ror Formation in the Lower Jurassic. The site has a water depth of 256 meters.
The secondary target failed to yield hydrocarbons.
“The well will be permanently plugged, and the Deepsea Atlantic will leave the location to commence drilling on 15/8-G-4 Utgard”, Equinor said.
Equinor operates production license 1119, granted February 2021 and valid until August 2027, with a 50 percent stake through Equinor Energy AS. OKEA ASA owns 30 percent and Pandion Energy AS 20 percent.
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