Vår Energi ASA is set to plug and abandon a well in production licence PL229, northwest of Hammerfest, following the discovery of oil in the operated 7122/8-1S Countach well.
The well was drilled in one of the segments that form the Countach prospect and preliminary estimates place the size of the discovery in the tested segment between 3-13mn bbls of total recoverable oil equivalents. The potential of the Countach prospect, in the undrilled segments, is estimated at up to 23mn bbls of total recoverable oil equivalents.
Following the discovery, the well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned, and the licensees will evaluate drilling an appraisal well in the future.
Rune Oldervoll, EVP Exploration and Production in Vår Energi, said, “Countach reinforces the company’s position as the leading exploration company on the Norwegian shelf. This discovery is yet another in a series of successful exploration wells in the Barents Sea in recent years, including Lupa – the largest discovery on the Norwegian shelf in 2022.
“At the same time, the discovery confirms our exploration strategy and our position in the area. We will consider potential commercial development options and tie-in of the discovery to Goliat FPSO. Due to late arrival of the drilling rig on the field this winter, we have not been able to carry out the planned sidetrack before the environmental drilling restrictions commence on 1 March. We look forward to continuing to explore the area around Goliat at a later point in time.”
The well was drilled to a measured depth of 2,989 metres and oil was encountered in the Realgrunnen and Kobbe formations. With extensive data now collected for further assessment, the well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.
