INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS (“IIN”) and the PL 057 partnership have discovered oil in wellbore 34/4-19 S in the Omega Sør Alfa prospect, located east of the Snorre field in the northern North Sea.

Shiki Tesaki, Managing Director of IIN:
"We are thrilled to see that there are still significant exploration discoveries to be made in the vicinity of our major producing fields. The Omega Sør Alfa discovery adds substantial volumes to the Snorre field which has produced for decades."

Mr. Tesaki adds that the discovery delivers on the company’s exploration and growth strategy, with expected short time from discovery to production.

The discovery was made in production licence 057, some 1.6 km east of the Snorre field, and 200 km northwest of Bergen. The well was drilled using the semi-submersible rig Deepsea Atlantic.

The primary objective of the well was to prove hydrocarbons in Middle Jurassic reservoir rocks in the Brent Group. Preliminary volume estimate is between 4 and 14.2 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable oil equivalent (o.e.). This corresponds to 25 – 89 million barrels of recoverable o.e.

The PL 057 operator and partners plan for a fast-track development, with a tie-back to the existing Snorre facilities. The exploration well has been temporarily plugged and may later be used as a production well. This represents an efficient value chain solution, reducing the time from discovery to production.

PL 057 partnership: INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS (9.6 %), Equinor Energy AS (Operator; 31 %), Petoro AS (30 %), Harbour Energy Norge AS (24.5 %) and Vår Energi ASA (4.9 %).

INPEX Idemitsu Norge (IIN) is part of the INPEX Corporation, Japan’s leading energy enterprise. The company entered the Norwegian Continental Shelf in 1989 by acquiring a stake in the Snorre field. The IIN office is located at Lysaker and currently employs around ninety highly skilled and experienced professionals.

About INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS

INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS (IIN) is part of INPEX Corporation, Japan’s leading energy enterprise. The company entered the Norwegian Continental Shelf in 1989 by acquiring a stake in the Snorre field. IIN is located at Lysaker and currently employs around eighty highly skilled and experienced professionals.