Wellesley used the âTransocean Arcticâ S/S to spud exploration well 35/4-2, targeting the Songesand prospect in PL 931, on 19 January 2019. The reservoir for this shallow gas prospect (prognosed to be the intra Naust Formation sandstone) was mapped at 806 m. Songesand lies approximately 32 km southwest of Peon, to which it is understood to be analagous. The well was drilled to 770 m TVDSS in the Naust Formation and is a dry hole. The well did not encounter sandstone but instead it penetrated a claystone and siltstone sequence in the Naust Formation. Traces of gas were encountered at the top of the reservoir section. The well was abandoned on 11 February 2019.  Equinorâs Peon discovery well 35/2-1 targeted a Pleistocene fluvio-glacial / glacio-marine sand body at a very shallow level. A 38 m thick, homogenous, unconsolidated sand was encountered at 574 m (named the Peon Sandstone of the Nordland Group) and 19 m of this contained very dry gas (99.5 vol% methane). Appraisal well 35/2-2 encountered the Peon Sandstone and the GWC as expected and tested at rates of 36 MMcfg/d through a 104/64" choke, proving that it is possible to drill and produce from this very shallow reservoir  It is understood that studies were carried out in 2012 and 2013 to progress development plans for Peon and that subsea gas compression was the preferred option. However, at that time the technology was untested so Equinor decided to wait until it had some data and experience from other subsea compression projects which were underway at Asgard (started in September 2015) and Gullfaks South (started in October 2015). In early 2018 Equinor indicated that it is considering the development once more and if it does go ahead it is likely to use an unmanned, remotely operated, stand-alone platform. Estimated recoverable reserves for Peon are approximately 690 Bcfg (NPD, December 2017).  PL 931 is operated by Wellesley Petroleum AS (60%). DNO Norge AS is the partner, holding the remaining 40%.
035/04-02 (Songesand) (Wellesley Petr. 60% op. DNO 40%) in PL 931 block, WD=392m, PTD=944m, target gas, P&A, found traces of gas in the top of the Pliocene Age reservoir, it was classified as a dry well. The objective of the well was to prove gas in the intra Naust Fm the well failed to encounter sst but did intersect a sequence dominated by claystone and siltstone in the Naust Fm.