Norwegian oil major Statoil has begun drilling appraisal well 16/2-15 on the Johan Sverdrup discovery in production license 265 in the North Sea sector of the Norwegian Continental Shelf, according to an announcement Wednesday from Statoil partner Lundin Petroleum.
The well's main objective is to determine the depth of the reservoir as well as the reservoir thickness and quality in the southern part of the Johan Sverdrup discovery. The well is located approximately 1,300 feet from the edge of production license 501, and some 2.2 miles south of well 16/2-8 and 1.5 miles southwest of well 16/2-11.
The planned total depth is approximately 6,560 feet below mean sea level and the well will be drilled by the Ocean Vanguard (mid-water semisub) drilling rig, with the drilling operation expected to take 50 days.
Statoil, the operator, has a 40-percent interest, while Lundin Norway has a 10-percent stake with Petoro and det norske oljeselskap holding 30 percent and 20 percent respectively.
