Norwegian energy company StatoilHydro has discovered oil and gas in the Nona project near the Åsgard field in the Norwegian Sea.

The size of the discovery, using preliminary calculations, ranges from 1 to 2 billion standard cubic metres of gas and 13 to 31 million barrels of oil.

Well 6407/2-5S, which was completed in early Jurassic rocks, was drilled to a 3,289m vertical depth below sea level and drilled at a 250m water depth using the Ocean Vanguard rig.

StatoilHydro’s head of infrastructure-led exploration activity on the Halten Bank, Sivert said that the Nona prospect reinforces the positive results attained by infrastructure-led exploration work on the Halten Bank.

Jørgenvåg is hopeful new discoveries can be made in the region.

“Thorough mapping and evaluation of the area have been the key success factors and also form the basis for further exploration activities,” he said.

The well will be permanently closed and abandoned. Ocean Vanguard will be shifted to production licence 442 in the North Sea to perform drilling of another exploration well.