Aker BP-Equinor North Sea wildcat comes up dry

Aker BP and partner Equinor drilled a dry exploration well, 15/6-17, in the Svarteknippa prospect in the North Sea, located 15 km west of the Solveig field and 220 km west of Stavanger. The well was drilled using Saipem’s Scarabeo 8 semisubmersible and was the first exploration well drilled in production license 979, which was awarded through APA in 2018. Aker BP holds a 60% interest in the license, with Equinor holding the remaining 40%.

The well targeted hydrocarbons from the Middle Jurassic Hugin and Sleipner formations, with a secondary objective to prove a reservoir in the Draupne and Heather formations. Near the primary target, the well encountered 97 m of the Vestland Group, including 8 m of sandstone with moderate to poor reservoir quality and weak hydrocarbon indicators. Near the secondary target, the well encountered 191 m of the Draupne Formation and 104 m of the Heather Formation, but reservoir rocks were not proven.

Well 15/6-17 was drilled to a vertical depth of 3,704 m below sea level in a water depth of 102 m and was terminated in the Smith Bank Formation in the Triassic. Data acquisition included securing a 54 m core in the Vestland Group, and the well has been permanently plugged and abandoned.