Equinor and partners Okea and Pandion Energy have discovered gas and condensate in the exploration well 'Mistral Sør' in the Halten area, in the southern part of the Norwegian Sea.
The discovery is currently estimated to be between 3 and 7 million standard cubic meters (Sm 3 ) of recoverable oil equivalents (oe). This corresponds to between 19 and 44 million barrels of recoverable oe.
'Norwegian gas is in demand and crucial for European energy security, so it is important that we explore and make new discoveries to maintain high deliveries. This discovery was made in an area that has developed gas infrastructure and which we are working to further develop. We are actively exploring in the area and have made several discoveries here in recent years', says Grete B. Haaland, Director of Exploration and Production North at Equinor.
The licensees consider the discovery to be commercial and will consider connection to existing infrastructure or development along with other discoveries in the area.
The discovery was made in the Åsgard and Kristin areas in the Norwegian Sea. Mistral Sør is located just a few miles north of Linnorm, the largest undeveloped gas discovery on the Norwegian continental shelf. Equinor took over the operatorship of Linnorm in 2023. In 2024, a discovery was also made in the Lavrans field, which is under development. Lavrans will be tied to the Kristin Sør field.
Mistral Sør was drilled by the rig Deepsea Atlantic (Odfjell Drilling) in production license 1119. The purpose of the well was to prove petroleum in Middle Jurassic sandstones in the Garn Formation, with a secondary target in the Ile Formation.
Well 6406/6-7 S encountered a hydrocarbon column of approximately 45 meters in the Garn Formation with good reservoir properties. The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 4024 meters below sea level, and was completed in the Ror Formation in the Lower Jurassic. The water depth is 256 meters. Extensive data collection and sampling have been carried out.
The well is permanently plugged, and Deepsea Atlantic leaves location to begin drilling on 15/8-G-4 Utgard.
No hydrocarbons were detected in the secondary exploration target.
Background
- The Mistral Sør license was awarded in APA2020
- Equinor Energy ASA is the operator (50 percent)
- Other licensees are Okea (30 percent) and Pandion Energy (20 percent).
Source: Equinor
