Scarabeo 8 drills gas discovery for Aker BP in North Sea

Aker BP made a gas discovery in the Alpehumle prospect, about 25 km north of the Duva field in the North Sea, using Saipem’s Scarabeo 8 semisubmersible. Well 36/4-2, the first exploration well in production license 1153, encountered a 10 m gas column in the Agat Formation, entirely within sandstone layers of very good reservoir quality. Sidetrack 36/4-2 A, drilled to delineate the discovery and prove the hydrocarbon/water contact, encountered 4 m of sandstone of similarly good reservoir quality, though the reservoir proved aquiferous.

Preliminary estimates put recoverable volumes between 0.15 and 2.4 million cu m of oil equivalent, or 1 million to 15 million barrels. Aker BP operates the license with a 40% interest, alongside Inpex Idemitsu at 30%, Okea at 20% and Harbour Energy at 10%.