Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor and its partners have completed drilling wildcat well 34/6-9 S in the North Sea, which has been classified as dry.  

Also known as Avbitertang, the well is located in production licence 554, around 35km north-east of the Snorre field and 125km west of Florø. 

In September this year, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate granted Equinor the permit to drill this well. 

It represents the ninth wildcat well drilled within the acreage of production licence 554, which was awarded in 2010 as part of the APA 2009 licensing round. 

It is the third exploration well drilled in the area this year, following 34/8-20 S (Narvi Nord) and 34/6-8 S (Garantiana NV), both of which were also dry. 

Equinor deployed the COSL Innovator rig for drilling at 34/6-9 S. 

The primary objective of the drilling was to confirm the presence of petroleum in Lower Jurassic reservoir rocks, specifically within the Cook Formation. 

This well encountered the Cook Formation over a total interval of approximately 106m, with 39m displaying moderate-to-good reservoir quality. 

Despite these findings, the well did not yield commercial hydrocarbons and has been permanently plugged and abandoned. 

Well 34/6-9 S was drilled to measured and vertical depths of 4,042m and 4,001m below sea level, respectively, and was terminated in the Burton Formation of the Lower Jurassic. 

Data was collected during the operation, including pressure points within the Cook Formation. The water depth at the site is 387m.

Production licence 554 is operated by Equinor with a 40% interest, with Aker BP and Vår Energi each holding a 30% interest.   

These companies also hold interests in other nearby licences such as 932, 1218 and 1215.