The Norwegian Offshore Directorate on Tuesday referred to as on corporations to bid for the Victoria discovery, which it says is a serious pure gasoline discovery that continues to be untapped as a result of lack of know-how to use tight reservoirs.
Exxon proved Victoria in 2000. Whole took over operatorship six years later and drilled an appraisal effectively 2009. “The work to mature the invention, given the state of know-how at the moment, indicated that worthwhile manufacturing could be difficult, and the acreage was relinquished in 2018”, the Directorate mentioned in an announcement.
Nonetheless, a examine performed by the Directorate and British consulting firm Opecs confirmed that present effectively know-how mixed with hydraulic fracturing can deliver the invention to manufacturing, based on the company.
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“Hydraulic fracturing has primarily taken place in chalk reservoirs on the NCS [Norwegian continental shelf]”, the Directorate mentioned within the assertion on its web site. “The ‘Victoria’ discovery is located in a sandstone reservoir, the place fracking expertise is considerably restricted on the NCS. This was the rationale for bringing in UK-based Opecs, because the Brits are extra skilled in the case of a lot of these fields”.
Earlier work in Victoria confirmed it had about 140 billion cubic meters (4.9 trillion cubic toes) of gasoline in place. The examine with Opecs confirmed that 29 billion cubic meters (one trillion cubic toes) could possibly be derived from 4 wells, the place manufacturing could possibly be maintained at 10 million cubic meters (353.1 million cubic toes) a day for practically two years. “This could imply a complete manufacturing of 29 billion cubic meters over a manufacturing lifetime of 30 years”, the Directorate mentioned.
“One other discovering within the examine signifies that there might even be room for added wells, which might additional enhance restoration”.
Victoria, previously a part of manufacturing license 211, has a water depth of about 400 meters (1,312.3 toes) and sits round 4,800 meters (15,748 toes) under sea degree. The Directorate mentioned it could possibly be tied again to the Asgard, Dvalin and Heidrun fields.
“It’s a tight reservoir at vital depths, with each excessive temperature and excessive strain, in addition to a excessive content material of CO2”, mentioned Per Valvatne, senior reservoir engineer on the Directorate.
“This is likely one of the largest remaining gasoline discoveries on the Norwegian continental shelf that’s nonetheless not coated underneath a manufacturing license”, Valvatne mentioned. “That is acreage that the businesses can apply for within the subsequent Awards in Predefined Areas”.
Arne Jacobsen, assistant director of know-how, analyses and coexistence on the Directorate, mentioned the know-how and experience as we speak are higher than up to now decade. “Fluids and propping brokers utilized in hydraulic fracturing have improved, the vessels used are higher, and we’re additionally capable of cope with greater reservoir strain and temperature”, Jacobsen mentioned. “These operations can be performed sooner and with larger reliability, thus decreasing prices and uncertainty”.
“If we will resolve the problem there [Victoria], then we will additionally set our sights on different challenges”, Jacobsen added. “As useful resource managers, we consider that hydraulic fracturing will turn out to be a key know-how for realizing the useful resource potential in tight reservoirs”.
To contact the writer, electronic mail jov.onsat@rigzone.com
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