The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, the nation's energy regulator, reported the results for a regional subsidiary of Spanish energy company Repsol drilling into the northwest section of the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea. The company was drilling a wildcat well, one focused on an area previously known to contain hydrocarbons.
"The reservoir rocks only contain weak traces of gas," the NPD stated. "The well is classified as dry."
After making a series of natural gas discoveries there, Norwegian energy company Statoil characterized the Aasta Hansteen reserve area as "one of the main projects" in its portfolio.
A process to lay the 300-mile long Polarled pipeline from the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea across the Arctic Circle to a gas processing plant in Norway began in 2015. Statoil said the project marked a regional milestone as the first large-diameter pipeline of its kind to be placed in waters of up to 4,150 feet deep and the first pipeline to take gas across the Arctic Circle.
Progress for Aasta Hansteen has slowed, however. Statoil canceled its lease contract last year with rig company Seadrill for the West Hercules platform, which was set for relocation to the Aasta Hansteen field.
According to Statoil, one of the reasons for the cancellation was because it was too early before the start of production.
Startup for Aasta Hansteen would be the second half of 2018 at the earliest.
Apart from Russia, Norway is a lead oil and natural gas supplier to the European market.
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