Oil and gas exploration on mid-Norway Continental Shelf: a brief history
For 20 years, oil and gas exploration on the Mid-Norway continental shelf has been a process of evaluation carefully orchestrated by the government, leading to today's proven reserves of 2.3 million bbl of oil and 12.4 tcf of gas. For the first eleven years from 1969, only the Norwegian authorities and Statoil shot seismic surveys in the region. Together they acquired nearly 21,000 km of data from More in the south, through Haltenbanken, to Traenabanken in the north. Oil companies that wished to apply for a license first had to purchase selected, relevant state seismic. These purchases, particularly important in the early concession rounds, have largely financed the government's investment. In the Haltenbanken area, the first license (436 km/sup 2/; 107,750 ac) was issued in 1980; by 1983, after the issue of four more licenses adjacent to the first, two gas/condensate fields had been discovered, Midgard and Tyrihans (total gas reserves = 5 tcf). Despite disappointing results from Traenabanken, further successes came from additional licensing in Haltenbanken with the discovery of oil, gas, and condensate in the Draugen, Smoerbukk, Heidrun, and Njord fields and a handful of single well successes. Though little open acreage remains in the golden diamond of Haltenbanken, the Norwegian government will probably further respond to industry by licensing the remainder of this highly prospective tract, as well as encouraging higher-risk exploration in unproven areas. Today, development plans are far advanced for the Draugen oil field operated by A/S Norske Shell, with first production expected in 1992. To mature development plans for the gas-rich fields requires securing international gas sales contracts, the Norwegian oil industry's current preoccupation.
- Research Organization:
- A/S Norske Shell, Risavika (Norway)
- OSTI ID:
- 5795033
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880301-
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bull.; (United States), Vol. 72:2; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Houston, TX, USA, 20-23 Mar 1988
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Field development projects advance in Norwegian Sea
Aasgard B process selection of hydrogen sulfide removal and disposal
Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
EXPLORATION
NORTH SEA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
NORWAY
CONTINENTAL SHELF
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
EUROPE
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MINERAL RESOURCES
RESOURCES
SCANDINAVIA
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
WESTERN EUROPE
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration