The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate said Wednesday that StatoilHydro, operator of production licences 120 and 120 B, has concluded the drilling of appraisal well 34/8-14 A on the 34/8-14 S ("Pan/Pandora") discovery, due south of the Visund field in the North Sea.
In Oct. 2008, well 34/8-14 S proved oil and gas in upper strata from the Brent group.
The exploration target for well 34/8-14 A was to delimit the 34/8-14 S discovery towards the north.
The well proved a 53-metre gas column above an 8-metre oil column. Extensive data collection and sampling have been carried out.
A new downflank sidetrack, 34/8-14 C, will therefore be drilled in the same segment in order to determine the oil-water contact and the size of the discovery.
This is the 16th exploration well in production licence 120, which was awarded in the 9th licensing round in 1985.
The appraisal well was drilled to a vertical depth of 3044 metres below the sea surface, and was concluded in the Drake formation in the Lower Jurassic.
Water depth at the site is 292 metres. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.
The well was drilled using the Borgland Dolphin drilling facility, which will continue operations in production licence 120 in the North Sea with the drilling of sidetrack well 34/8-14 C.