The well encountered a 16-meter gas column in the upper Cretaceous, in a reservoir of varying quality.
There is great uncertainty regarding the size of the discovery. Preliminary estimates indicate between 10 and 100 billion standard cubic meters (Sm3) of recoverable gas.
The well was not formation-tested, but extensive sampling and data acquisition have been performed. Further delineation drilling is needed in order to clarify the resource potential, including the possibility of additional volumes.
The well is the first exploration well in PL 326, awarded in the 18th licensing round in 2004. The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 3805 meters below the sea surface, and was terminated in the upper Cretaceous (probably the Springar formation). The well will now be permanently plugged and abandoned.
Well 6603/12-1 was drilled by the Leiv Eiriksson drilling facility, which will now conduct drilling activity outside the Norwegian shelf.
The licensees in PL 326 are GDF SUEZ E&P Norge AS 10%, StatoilHydro Petroleum AS 40% and Norske Shell 50%.
