Marathon Oil Norge AS, operator of production license 505, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 25/10-11 testing the Earb South prospect in PL505.

The well was drilled about eight kilometers southwest of the previous discovery, 25/7-2, in the North Sea, about 40 kilometers south of the Heimdal field.

The primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (Draupne and Heather formation). The secondary exploration target was reservoir rocks in the Middle Jurassic (Hugin formation).

Hydrocarbons were proven in a 95-meter interval with thin reservoir zones, in Middle/Upper Jurassic rocks. Hydrocarbons where also found in an intermediate 283 m gross interval, however, also in poorly developed reservoir rocks. A deeper zone had poorer reservoir properties, which was expected.

There were also hydrocarbons in the intermediate layer, but these were also in poorly developed reservoir rocks. The interval was production-tested, but did not achieve stable flow. Due to poor reservoir properties the well is not considered commercially interesting, but the licensees will consider further work in the production license.

The well is the first exploration well in production license 505, which was awarded in APA 2008.

The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 4534 meters below the sea surface, and was terminated in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks. The water depth is 120 meters. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.

Well 25/10-11 was drilled by Transocean Winner which will now proceed to production license 431 in the Norwegian Sea to drill wildcat well 6406/3-9, where Maersk Oil Norway AS is the operator.

Tags: Marathon Oil Norge AS