Equinor discovers oil in North Sea Swisher prospect

Equinor and partners will evaluate an oil and gas discovery in the Swisher prospect in the North Sea for a potential tie-in to existing infrastructure in the area. Wells 35/11-24 S, 35/11-24 A, and 35/11-24 B were drilled in production license 248C about 7 km west of Fram field and 130 km northwest of Bergen in 356 m water depth. Recoverable resources are estimated from 2-6 million standard cu m oil equivalent, corresponding to 13-38 MMboe.

The wells—the third, fourth, and fifth in the license—were drilled by the West Hercules drilling rig to prove petroleum in Upper Jurassic rocks of the Heather formation from the Late Jurassic epoch. Well 35/11-24 S was drilled to 3,082 m TVD and 3,200 MD subsea and encountered a 42 m hydrocarbon column including 21 m of gas with 7 m moderate to good reservoir quality and 21 m of oil with 17 m of good to moderate reservoir quality.

Well 35/11-24 A was drilled to 3,213 TVD and 3,549 MD subsea and encountered a 25 m total gas column and up to 6 m moderate quality sandstone. Well 35/11-24 B was drilled to 3,088 TVD and 3,480 MD subsea and encountered a 3 m minimum oil column of good-quality sandstone.

The wells were not formation-tested, however extensive data acquisition and sampling were carried out.

The wells have been permanently plugged. West Hercules will proceed to drill wildcat well 6407/1-8 S in the Apollonia prospect in production license 263 D in the Norwegian Sea.

Equinor is operator of 248C (35%) with partners Petoro AS (40%), and Wellesley Petroleum AS (25%).