Equinor makes new oil and gas discovery near Oseberg field in North Sea

Equinor, the operator of production licence 053, has announced a significant discovery of oil and gas at exploration well 30/6-C-2 A, dubbed “Lambda,” situated approximately four kilometres west of the Oseberg field in the North Sea. The initial findings suggest a substantial addition to the region’s resources, with an estimated 0.2 to 0.4 million standard cubic metres of recoverable oil equivalent in the Eiriksson Formation, and between 0.2 and 1.0 million standard cubic metres in the Cook Formation. This announcement holds considerable importance as these new reserves represent vital supplementary resources for the established Oseberg area.

The well, drilled from the Oseberg C platform, has unveiled approximately 23 metres of oil and gas-filled sandstone with high-quality reservoir characteristics in the Eiriksson Formation. Similarly, the Cook Formation revealed 15 metres of sandstone containing oil and gas, showcasing moderate to excellent reservoir quality. Notably, the well achieved a vertical depth of 2795 metres below sea level and concluded in the Eiriksson Formation, with the Oseberg C installation serving as the drilling base.

Significant oil and gas discovery made by Equinor close to Oseberg field, North Sea. Photo courtesy of Øivind Hagen/Equinor.

“The primary exploration target for the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Triassic to Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks in the Statfjord Group,” the company detailed, highlighting the geological objectives underpinning their efforts. The secondary goal was to confirm the presence of petroleum in the Lower Jurassic reservoir rocks within the Cook Formation.

Despite not being formation-tested, extensive data collection has been conducted, and the petroleum/water contact was encountered in the Eiriksson Formation, indicating promising signs for potential extraction and production solutions. The collaboration between Equinor and its partners, including Petoro, TotalEnergies, and ConocoPhillips, continues as they seek to further comprehend the discovery and evaluate the most efficient methods to harness these new-found oil and gas reserves.

Oseberg, a field with a rich history dating back to its discovery in 1979 and the commencement of operations in 1988, is expected to gain considerably from these discoveries as the operators work diligently to augment its production capacity. With the water depth at the drilling site recorded at 109 metres, the North Sea continues to affirm its status as a pivotal region for the global oil and gas sector, with this recent discovery by Equinor further reinforcing its significance.