An exploration well in the North Sea’s Aldous Major South prospect turned up a ‘high-impact’ oil discovery, Statoil and partners announced 8 August 2011.
Well 16/2-8, in 112m water depths in PL 265, encountered a 65m oil column in Jurassic sandstone. Plans call for the Transocean Leader to continue drilling to a vertical depth of 2083m.
The Aldous Major South prospect is about 4km west of the Lundin Petroleum-operated Avaldnes discovery and 35km south of Statoil’s Grane field.
Preliminary estimates indicate that the field could contain 200-400 million boe with additional upside possible in the immediate area, Statoil said.
Tests indicated that the 16/2-8 discovery tapped into a structure that has communication with the Avaldnes find, where Statoil holds a 40% stake.
‘Aldous Major South is a considerable oil discovery in one of Statoil’s core areas. Together with the Avaldsnes discovery this may allow for a new stand-alone development in the North Sea,’ said Gro G. Haatvedt, Statoil’s senior VP for exploration on the Norwegian continental shelf.
The Transocean Leader will next drill the Aldous Major North well, Statoil said. The partners plan to drill two appraisal wells in PL 265 in 2012.
‘The result of the ongoing drilling of the Lundin-operated well (well 16/2-7) in the Avaldsnes structure will help further clarify the area’s potential,’ Statoil said.
Statoil operates license 265 with 40% interest. Partners are Petoro (30%), Det Norske Oljeselskap (20%) and Lundin (10%). 
