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Drilled for oil, found gas

Disappointing news from oil drilling in the Barents Sea as the well at the Salina prospect is not considered commercially interesting to develop.

Location

Eni, with partners Lundin and Det Norske, says on Friday gas has been found in their well at the Salina structure in the western part of the Barents Sea.

Eni, with partners Lundin and Det Norske, says on Friday gas has been found in their well at the Salina structure in the western part of the Barents Sea. They were hoping to find oil, but found gas and condensate instead.

The field is located northwest of the Snøhvit field, where Statoil produces gas to its Melkøya LNG plant in Hammerfest.

Eni’s co-partner in the Salina prospect Det Norske says in their announcement that the well confirmed the existence of gas in two reservoirs unites. The well was drilled to to a depth of 2,371 meters below sea level.

The estimate of recoverable gas volumes is between six and eight billion cubic meters, or some 40 to 50 million barrels of oil equivalents. Det Norske says that with the existing infrastructure for gas processing and transport in the Barents Sea, the gas discovery is not considered commercial.