Operator Statoil has proven gas condensate and light oil in two wells drilled close to the Gullfaks and Statfjord fields in the North Sea.
Exploration well 33/12-8S was drilled in the Dole prospect, while well 33/12-8A was drilled in the Ole prospect. Both wells lie in production licence 152. Hydrocarbons were proven in Middle Jurassic rocks in the wells. Due to similarities with the Rimfaks and Gullveig producing fields, the wells were not production tested.
Well 33/12-8S was drilled to 3,350 metres below mean sea level, and 33/12-8A was drilled to 3,369 metres. The latter was temporarily abandoned and will come on stream at a later stage. Both wells were drilled with the Borgland Dolphin rig.
The finds lie about 16 kilometres from both the Statfjord B platform and the Gullfaks A platform. The distance between Ole and Dole is around 1,700 metres.
Two development alternatives are being evaluated. The finds could be tied back via subsea templates on the Gullfaks South satellite field and then on to Gullfaks C, or they could be tied back to the Statfjord B platform.
Statoil will be the sole operator for the Tampen area when the group takes over Snorre, Visund, Vigdis and Tordis from Norsk Hydro on 1 January 2003. The group therefore wants to search for and develop small finds in the area in order to extend production from the Tampen platforms.
The licensees in production licence 152 are Statoil (58.89 per cent), Petoro (30 per cent) and ExxonMobil (11.11 per cent). Statoil has entered into an agreement to take over ExxonMobil’s stake with effect from 1 January 2002. The agreement is expected to be approved by the authorities before the summer.
