The NPD announced today that Mol Norge is finishing well 2/6-6S in PL860 in the southern part of the North Sea at the Mandal High.
The targets for the well were to prove oil in reservoir rocks in the Paleocene Intra Våle Formation sandstones (Oppdal prospect) and in the Permian Rotliegend Group (Driva prospect).
The well encountered an approximately 34-metre thick sandstone layer in the Intra Våle Formation with good reservoir quality. In the Rotliegend Group, the well encountered 105 metres with relatively tight sandstone. Both prospects are dry.
MOL and Lundin are transferring exploration concepts and learnings from the Lundin exploration successes of Johan Sverdrup, Luno I and Luno II of the Utsira High to the smaller Mandal High. Today’s high-resolution broadband seismic data (PGS Geostreamer) has permitted more accurate mapping of the dip-slope prospectivity of the Mandal High. Henrik Jacobsen, exploration manager in Mol Norge, showed in November on the Exploration Strategy conference that MOL has mapped out a series of exploration prospects on the eastward dipping slope of the Mandal High.
It seems that none of Mol’s proposed migration ways – either through the chalk into the Paleocene sandstones, or through the fractured basement of the Mandal High into the Rotliegend sandstones – have worked for the Oppdal and Driva prospects. Read more in detail about the migration theory and the prospects in “Driva well underway”.
Mol Norge is not giving up though and the next well planned for Q2 2019 in the area in PL539, 3/7-11S (Vinstra-Otta) has both Rotliegend and Middle Jurassic targets according to Jacobsen. Vinstra is a huge 4-way dip closure (ca 400 square km) at Rotliegend level. On the excellent new seismic data, a flat event can be seen, which is interpreted as the oil-water contact. The prospect has an enormous volume potential of more than 1 billion bbl.
After the disappointing results on Oppdal/Driva the main risk is oil migration. So, it still remains to be seen if the Utsira High migration model is applicable on the Mandal High.
The Mandal High in the Central Graben South on the NCS is a core area for Mol Norge, where they have built a portfolio of licenses. Some exploration licenses are on the crest of the Mandal High targeting a basement play.
Mol Norge’s strategy is to build an inventory of high-potential acreage through APA applications and selective farm-ins. They target high working interests and operatorship. They are chasing oil and want to be bold and test new play models, like on the Mandal High.
About the MolGroup upstream worldwide:
- 80 years of experience in exploration and production
- Oil and gas exploration and production assets in 13 countries
- Core areas: CEE, Middle East & Pakistan, North Sea, Russia
- MOL 2030 strategy targets self funding and value generating business in a low oil price environment – full/growing reserves replacement
