For the first time, an exploration well is being drilled in the North Sea where the objective is not to find oil or gas.
The well is being drilled south of the Troll field in the North Sea, and the objective is to investigate whether the reservoir in the deep Johansen Formation is suitable for storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂).
The Northern Lights project, consisting of Equinor, Shell and Total, is drilling wildcat well 31/5-7 Eos. The West Hercules rig is responsible for the operation.
This will be the first well to be drilled in exploitation license 001, and the objective of the well is to prove sandstone and the storage potential for CO₂ in the Cook and Johansen geological formations. The companies also want to examine the sealing properties of the overlying Dunlin shale.
May be suited for CO₂ storage facility. If the well indicates good reservoir properties, and a decision is subsequently made to use the formations for CO₂ storage, the first CO₂ injector will be drilled as a sidetrack from the wildcat well.
“If the well proves sandstone with good flow properties, this part of the Johansen Formation may be well-suited as a storage facility for CO₂”, says Assistant director exploration Wenche Tjelta Johansen.
