Aker BP used the âDeepsea Stavangerâ S/S to drill exploration well 7221/12-1 in PL 659. The well, which spudded on 4 May 2018, targeted the Svanefjell prospect located approximately 25 km west of Caurus and Langlitinden on the Loppa High. Svanefjell was a shallow, 4-way dip-closed prospect with a possible stratigraphic component and, according to partner Lundin, had potential reserves of 268 MMboe with a 12% chance of success. The objective Upper Triassic Snadd Formation sandstone was expected to be reached at 585 m and was mapped to be 55 m thick at this location. Aker BP drilled to TD at 724 m in the Snadd Formation and the well was abandoned on 25 May 2018. A 20 m gas column (of which 7 m was in sandstone) was proven in the Snadd Formation with a GWC at 555 m TVDSS. Further clarification is needed to determine whether the gas is actually gas hydrate or free gas. If free gas, then estimated recoverable reserves range from 70-124 Bcfg which is non-commercial at this location.   If this well had been a success but no OWC had been encountered, down-flank appraisal well 7222/10-1 would have been drilled straight afterwards. This well would have had a planned TD of 780 m, with Top Reservoir mapped at 637 m, and a planned duration of 40 days to include a well test. It would have been located approximately 9 km southeast of 7221/12-1.   The Caurus discovery was made by StatoilHydro in 2008 with exploration well 7222/11-1. Gas was proven at two levels (Norian and Carnian) in a good quality reservoir in the Upper Triassic Snadd Formation and the size of the discovery was estimated at between 70 and 490 Bcf. Oil and gas were also present in the Middle Triassic Kobbe Formation, but the reservoir was complicated and permeability was low therefore no reserves were given for this reservoir.  Det norskeâs 2014 Langlitinden well 7222/11-2 further investigated the Caurus discovery. Following the successful flow rates from the Kobbe Formation in Totalâs Norvarg discovery well, Det norske re-looked at the Caurus discovery and believed there was further potential. It reported possible recoverable reserves of 155-375 MMboe prior to spud. The company drilled the southern channel complex â one of the main sandstone channels of the Kobbe Formation â and also planned to evaluate three leads in the Snadd Formation. A gross oil column of 30 m was proven in the primary objective Triassic Kobbe Formation channel sands. 20 m of this was poor quality sandstone, confirmed by a mini-DST. Several hydrocarbon bearing sands of the Lower Kobbe Formation were also encountered but no fluid samples were collected due to the sands being tight. No hydrocarbon contacts were found and Det norske stated that volumes present were insufficient to justify field development.  Interest in PL 659 is divided between Aker BP ASA (50% + operator), Petoro AS (30%) and Lundin Norway AS (20%).
7221/12-01 (Svanefjell) (AkerBP 50% op. Petoro 30%, Lundin 20%) in PL 659, P&A, 20m gas column in the upper target Snadd sst at 585m, GWC at 555m. Preliminary results suggest gas is of the hydrates type. Find has a preliminary resource estimate of between 70 and 125 Bcf of recoverable gas but that it is ânot considered to be commercial at this timeâ.