16/4-3

General

Block 16/4 was initially awarded to Norsk Hydro as PL087 in 1984. Two exploration wells were drilled; 16/4-1 in 1984 and 16/4-2 in 1990. Both wells were targeted at Eocene prospects, however neither well was successful due to the inability of hydrocarbons to successfully migrate through thick Palaeocene mudstones into the targeted Eocene prospects. Subsequently, PL087 was relinquished on 1 January 1995. BP, in partnership with Norsk Hydro, was awarded Block 16/4 as the PL243 license as part of the North Sea Awards in 1999. The 16/4-3 well is the first well drilled in the license since the award and was targeted to penetrate Palaeocene turbidite sands in the Fluoritt Prospect located at the western edge of the Utsira High in the South Viking Graben of the North Sea. It was designed to determine the hydrocarbon type and properties in the Fluoritt Prospect.

Operations and results

Exploration well 16/4-3 well was spudded with the semi-submersible installation "West Delta" on 5 December 2000 and drilled to TD at 2425 m in the Early Paleocene Ekofisk Formation. The well was drilled with seawater and bentonite hi-vis pills down to 400 m, with KCl polymer mud from 400 m to 1700 m, and with KCl glycol enhanced mud ("GEM") from 1700 m to TD. Top Hermod was encountered 27 m low to prognosis at 2196.3 m. Hydrocarbon fluorescence was observed in cuttings from thin Hermod sands the in the interval 2195 m - 2220 m and also from a Middle Heimdal Formation sand in the interval 2277 m to 2282 m, however, the Hermod sandstones were poorly developed at the well location and are considered uneconomic. No conventional or sidewall cores were cut in the well. No fluid samples were taken, neither on wire line nor from DST. Well 16/4-3 was permanently abandoned as a well with oil shows on 24 December 2000.

Testing

No drill stem test was performed.