Aker BP and its partners have discovered a dry well in the Njargasas prospect of Norwegian North Sea.

The wildcat well 35/6-5 S in production licence 1110 was awarded in February 2021 as part of the Awards in Predefined Areas 2020.

The company received a drilling permit for the well in July last year, with the permit valid until 19 February 2029.

The wildcat well 35/6-5 S, the first drilled in the licence, was operated by the Odfjell rig Deepsea Nordkapp.

Located north of the Gjøa field, the area has seen a surge in exploration activity and licence awards in recent years.

The well aimed to confirm petroleum in Lower Cretaceous reservoir rocks in the Agat formation.

The well encountered the Agat formation at a total depth of 176m, with 97m consisting of sandstone layers of poor-to-moderate reservoir quality. The site’s water depth is 332m.

Drilled to a vertical depth of 3,933m below sea level, the well was terminated in the Åsgard Formation of the Lower Cretaceous. The well is classified as dry and has been permanently plugged and abandoned.

The disappointing outcome comes shortly after Aker BP's previous unsuccessful attempt in the Kaldafjell prospect with the 34/6-7 S well.

In October 2024, Aker BP, along with licensee Wintershall Dea, confirmed the size of its gas discovery in the Norwegian Sea through appraisal well 6507/2-7 S.

Located 230km west of Sandnessjøen and 12km west of the Skarv field, the well was drilled to a vertical depth of 5,098m and a measured depth of 5,140m subsea by the Deepsea Nordkapp rig.

The well, part of production licence 261, was terminated in the Åre formation from the Lower Jurassic period, with a water depth of 340m at the site.