Neptune Energy announced drilling has commenced on the Ofelia appraisal well in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

The Ofelia discovery  was made in August 2022 and is located approximately 14 kilometres north of the Neptune-operated Gjøa field.

Preliminary estimates of recoverable volume are in the range of 2.5-6.2 million standard cubic metres (MSm3) or 16-39 million barrels of oil equivalents (mmboe). The new well aims to appraise and fully evaluate the hydrocarbon discovery in the Ofelia Agat formation. A secondary target is to evaluate an upside of gas charged reservoir in the shallower Kyrre Formation.

Neptune Energy’s Director of Subsurface in Norway, Steinar Meland, said: “The Ofelia discovery fits our strategy of focusing on opportunities within core areas near existing infrastructure.

“The Ofelia discovery could be tied back to the Neptune-operated Gjøa platform and produce at less than half the average carbon intensity of Norwegian Continental Shelf fields 1.”

The main reservoir target is the Lower Cretaceous Agat Formation and is expected to be reached at a depth of approximately 2,530 metres.

The well, 35/6-4 S, is being drilled by the Deepsea Yantai, a semi-submersible rig, owned by CIMC and operated by Odfjell Drilling.

Partners: Neptune Energy (operator, 40%), Wintershall Dea (20%), Pandion Energy (20%), Aker BP (10%), and DNO (10%)