Another disappointment in Barents Sea exploratory drilling

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Monday, October 2, 2017 at 12:00 — Last Updated: Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 14:37
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after-disappointments-statoil-says-we-will-come-back-3 — Drillings were once again unsuccessful in Norway’s Arctic waters. (Thomas Nilsen/The Independent Barents Observer)

Drilling season 2017 has so far been a huge disappointment in Norway’s Arctic waters with one dry well following the other.

It started in May when Lundin Petroleum announced reduced resource estimates for the Gotha discovery after drilling of an appraisal well showed poor reservoir quality. Then Statoil followed with no oil discoveries at the Blåmann well in July, no oil at the Gemini North well in August, no oil at the Korpfjell prospect in September and now, Lundin announces yet another dry well at Børselv.

“The well encountered a 380 metres thick sequence of carbonates with medium to poor reservoir quality. Oil shows were found, but the reservoir was water bearing,” Lundin Norway reports in a note.

Lundin now moves the rig “Leiv Eriksson” to the Hufsa prospect, located south of the Børselv prospect northwest of Hammerfest in Finnmark region.