Norwegian oil company Aker BP has declared the recent Yggdrasil discovery to be Norway’s longest-ever exploration well. This conclusion came after the Øst Frigg Beta/Epsilon wildcat well reached its target depth of 8168 metres, a record-breaking milestone that has significantly increased the value of the Yggdrasil area.
The preliminary calculations show that the Øst Frigg Beta/Epsilon discovery contains approximately 53-90 million recoverable barrels of oil equivalents, boosting the overall resources in the Yggdrasil area to over 700 million barrels. This signifies a total increase in resources of nearly 10%, amplifying the profitability of Yggdrasil’s development and its potential for value creation.
The discovery, initially reported by Aker BP on May 25th, has given rise to over 250 million barrels of proven oil yet to be produced. This revelation came following the production of gas in the 1980s and 1990s from the Øst Frigg field, which consists of two structures, Alpha and Beta.
The exploration for Øst Frigg oil began in early 2022 with a sidetrack to Øst Frigg Alpha drilled from the Grefsenkollen well. Despite initial disappointments, the team developed a plan to drill horizontally in Beta, which included Epsilon.
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Drilling Superintendent Hanna Tronstad highlighted the significance of the achievement: “Drilling six kilometres horizontally requires precision and the ability to constantly assess risk against reward…”
The operation was overseen from Aker BP’s new drilling operations centre in Trondheim, using geosteering to optimise well placement in the oil-bearing layer. This was made possible through a resistivity map developed based on measurements from tools downhole.
The data collected during this process is set to be vital for further well planning in the Yggdrasil development. Aker BP has plans for 55 wells in the area, with drilling slated to start in 2025.
The Yggdrasil area is designed to be a hub for future discoveries and fields and offers a significant degree of flexibility. Aker BP, along with partners Equinor and PGNIG Upstream Norway, aims to continue exploring the area through additional exploration wells and appraisal wells over the next few years.
