International energy company Equinor has announced oil discovery at the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea.
The size of the discovery is estimated between nine and 15 million barrels of oil, according to preliminary estimates.
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Discovery at the exploration well, known as 7220/7-CD-1H, Drivis Tubåen, is the 14th well in production licence 532.
This move was made shortly after the Johan Castberg field began operating at full capacity.
The original volume base for Johan Castberg was estimated at 450–650 million barrels, with goals of increasing reserves by another 250–550 million barrels.
Equinor North exploration and production senior vice-president Grete Birgitte Haaland said: “Only a short time after Johan Castberg came on stream and is producing at full capacity, we have made a new discovery that can provide additional reserves for the field.
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By GlobalData“We are planning six new IOR [increased oil recovery] wells and continuous exploration activity. At the same time, we will develop Isflak as a rapid field expansion with a planned start-up in 2028.”
Oil was discovered within the Tubåen formation at a depth of 1,769m beneath the seabed, situated in waters measuring a depth of 345m.
The Transocean Enabler drilling rig drilled the well as an extension of a production well.
The licensees are now considering integrating the discovery into the Johan Castberg field’s existing infrastructure.
Being the least explored ocean area on the Norwegian continental shelf, the Barents Sea presents new opportunities, especially with Johan Castberg’s production facilities already in place.
Equinor plans to drill one to two exploration wells a year in the surrounding areas, with two rigs set to drill both production and new exploration wells around Johan Castberg and Goliat.
As of 17 June, the Johan Castberg field reached its production plateau, now producing approximately 220,000bpd of oil.
A tanker loaded with oil departs from the field every three to four days.
In addition to its activities in the Barents Sea, Equinor expanded its portfolio in Brazil last month by securing the S-M-1617 exploration block in the Santos basin during Brazil’s 5th Open Permanent Concession bid round.
