Operator Statoil and its PL146/PL333 partner Total Norge have made a gas and condensate discovery in the Julius prospect in the King Lear area in the North Sea.

The discovery well 2/4-23S, drilled by Maersk Gallant, proved gas and condensate in the Ula formation. Statoil estimates the volumes in Julius to be between recoverable 15 and 75 MMboe. The well was drilled about 17 km northeast of the Ekofisk field and next found 2 / 4-21 (King Lear) in the southern North Sea.

The primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (Ula formation) and Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks (the Bryne formation), as well as to refine 2 / 4-21 discovery (King Lear), which was proven in Upper Jurassic reservoir rocks (Farsund Formation) summer shoulder 2012 . Before well 2 / 4-23 S was drilled, the operator's resource estimate for King Lear at between 11 and 32 MMscm of recoverable oil equivalents.

The secondary exploration target for 2/4-23 S was to prove petroleum in Upper Triassic reservoir rocks (Skagerrak formation).

The discovery well in the Ula formation encountered 41 m of gas/condensate filled sandstone rocks with moderate reservoir quality. Oil-water contact was not encountered. Preliminary estimates of the size of the discovery is between 2.5 and 12 MMscm of recoverable oil equivalents.

The well encountered further 30 m gross of water filled sandstone with poor reservoir quality in the Bryne Formation.

The well encountered also a 20 m thick gas/condensate column in Farsund Formation, two zones of five meters thick reservoir rocks with moderate/good reservoir quality, as confirmed pressure connection with found 2/4-21 King Lear. The delimitation of the 2/4-21 discovery does not lead to change of the resource estimates.

Statoil expects that the King Lear volumes will stay within the previously communicated range of recoverable 70-200 MMboe.

Well 2/4-23 S was drilled to a vertical depth of 5548 m below sea level and terminated in sandstones in the Skagerrak formation in the Upper Triassic.

The water depth is 68 m. The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.

Source: www.worldoil.com

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