OMV Finds Gas in Norwegian Sea Wildcat

The well was drilled by the Transocean Norge. (Photo: Transoecean)

OMV and its partners have discovered gas in the deepwater Haydn/Monn wildcat well (6605/6-1 S) in the Norwegian Sea.

The gas discovery is located around 310 kilometers west of Sandnessjøen, at a water depth of 1,064 meters. The find is approximately 65 kilometers from the existing infrastructure of the Polarled pipeline and the Aasta Hansteen field.

Preliminary estimates place the size of the discovery in the primary exploration target between 4 million and 12 million standard cubic meters (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalent (o.e.). Discoveries were also made in two other levels, where the size of the volumes is uncertain.

“By focusing on gas as a transition fuel, OMV invests in affordable energy solutions and contributes to a more sustainable energy mix. We aim to increase the share of gas in our production portfolio to 60% by 2030. A commercial discovery will further advance our diversification, while high grading our portfolio in Norway. Ultimately, today’s news further solidifies our position as a reliable gas supplier in Europe,” says Berislav Gašo, OMV Executive Vice President Energy.

The license partners in PL1194—including operator OMV (Norge) AS (40% working interest), Vår Energi ASA (30%) and Inpex Idemitsu Norge AS (30%)—will evaluate the discovery for a potential gas field development to the nearby infrastructure. Leveraging existing infrastructure, a subsea development to the Aasta Hansteen host platform will result in faster planning and execution with lower development costs, and a reduced carbon footprint, OMV said.

“This discovery could unlock significant potential in the area and extend the life of the Aasta Hansteen gas hub, in which OMV already has a stake,” Gašo said.

The well, drilled by the Transocean Norge rig, is the first to be drilled in production license 1194, which was awarded in 2022. It has since been permanently plugged and abandoned.

The primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Cretaceous reservoir rocks in the Springar Formation, and secondarily in the Nise Formation, also in the Upper Cretaceous.

In the primary exploration target, the well encountered a gas column of around 20 meters, of which 13 meters was in sandstone reservoir rocks with moderate to good reservoir quality. The gas/water contact was not encountered. Preliminary estimates indicate that the size of the discovery in the Springar Formation is between 4-12 million Sm3 of recoverable o.e.

In addition to this, gas-filled sandstone layers totaling around 11 meters were encountered in the lower part of the Springar Formation. There is some uncertainty regarding the size of this discovery, but a preliminary estimate indicates between 0.5- 5 million Sm3 of recoverable o.e.

A gas column of around 5 meters was discovered in the secondary exploration target in the Nise Formation, in sandstone reservoir rocks with moderate reservoir quality. There is uncertainty linked to the size of the discovery, but preliminary estimates show between 0.5- 6 million Sm3 of recoverable o.e.

The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out.

Well 6605/6-1 S was drilled to respective vertical and measured depths of 4641 and 5123 meters below sea level, and was terminated in the Nise Formation in the Upper Cretaceous.