Another dry drill in the Barents Sea, another setback for the oil industry
Oil company Lundin drilled dry in the Hufsa well. It is another setback for the oil industry in the Barents Sea.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate informs that neither of the two wells drilled at the Hufsa prospect (7219/12-2 S and 7219/12-2 A) are non-commercial.
While the latter was considered dry, the former included a 20 meter natural gas column, the directorate says. It is the fourth and fifth well drilled in license 533, issued to Lundin as part of the 20th License round in 2009.
Expectations were high. The Hufsa prospect is located only about 20 km from the Alta discovery and 50 km from the Johan Castberg.
Lundin has the last years been among the most successful companies in the region. In 2013, it made a significant discovery in the Gohta well and another in 2014 in the nearby Alta well. The two discoveries are both part of the Loppa High structure.
«We are making a real commitment in this area because we believe there are significant undiscovered resources here,» Managing Director Kristin Færøvik said earlier this year.
The company is making one last shot in the area this year. The semi-submersible drilling rig «Leiv Eiriksson» will now proceed to drill the Hurri prospect, also located in PL533, Lundin informs.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Arctic nickel, not oil, could soon power the world’s cars, Blog by Mia Bennett, Cryopolitics
Finland: U.S. pullout from Paris climate pact condemned by Finnish leaders, Yle News
Germany: Cheap oil from the Arctic? Fake news, says climate economist Kemfert, blog by Irene Quaile, Deutsche Welle
Norway: Norway’s oil fund wants out of oil and gas investments, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Big dig in Kola Bay as Novatek takes new steps in Arctic gas project, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Sweden’s climate minister : U.S. withdrawal from Paris sends a bad signal, Radio Sweden
United States: Big questions emerge over $43 billion gas-export deal between Alaska and China, Alaska Dispatch News
