Norwegian oil and gas producer Aker BP has made a gas discovery in the North Sea, with preliminary estimates putting recoverable resources at between 1 million and 15 million barrels of oil equivalent, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate said in a Wednesday statement.
The discovery was made at the Alpehumle prospect, about 25 kilometers, or 16 miles, north of the Duva field in production license 1153.
Norway's offshore regulator estimated the recoverable resources at between 0.15 million and 2.4 million standard cubic meters of oil equivalent.
Aker BP holds a 40% stake in the license. Japan's Inpex Idemitsu holds 30%, while Norway's Okea has 20% and Britain's Harbour Energy has 10%.
The discovery was made using the Scarabeo 8 drilling rig and was the first exploration well drilled under license 1153, awarded in 2021.
The initial well, 36/4-2, encountered a 10-meter gas column in the Early Cretaceous Agat Formation. The well found 10 meters of sandstone with very good reservoir quality, although the boundary between the hydrocarbons and underlying water was not determined.
A second well, known as a sidetrack, was drilled to better define the discovery and establish the hydrocarbon-water contact. It encountered four meters of sandstone with very good reservoir quality, but the reservoir contained water.
The team collected extensive data and samples from both wells.
The license partners will now assess the results to determine whether the discovery can be developed commercially and whether additional drilling is warranted.
The initial well reached a vertical depth of 2,250 meters (7,382 feet) below sea level and ended in basement rock. The sidetrack reached 2,320 meters (7,612 feet) and ended in an unidentified formation.
Water depth at the drilling site was 255 meters (837 feet). Both wells will be permanently plugged and abandoned.