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Probe boosts Alve reserves


Statoil confident but declines to give numbers



By Upstream staff 

Norway's Statoil has raised its estimates of proven reserves on the Alve gas and condensate field in the Norwegian Sea after completing a new appraisal well.

However, Statoil said it was too early to say anything about the size of the recoverable reserves proven so far as it is still evaluating the drilling results.

"Alve will primarily be assessed for a tie-back to the Norne production ship, but this will depend on its size," Statoil said.

Alve lies 10 kilometres south-west of the company's Norne oilfield.

"(The probe) found mostly gas and some condensate," said Roald Saeter, an official at the Norwegian Petroelum Directorate (NPD).

"There is a possibility that there is upside potential for oil too, but a new well would be needed to confirm that," Saeter told Reuters.

Statoil also said it would evaluate another appraisal well.

Saeter said the completed well showed that the Alve resources are bigger than earlier reported figures of 6.1 billion cubic metres of gas and 1.4 million standard cubic metres of condensate.

"It is not disappointing at present at least," Saeter said. But he declined to give precise figures.

Statoil has a 50% stake in Alve. Its partners in the field are Shell with 40% and Norway's Norsk Hydro with 10%.

The appraisal well in license 159 was drilled by the West Navigator drill ship in 372 metres of water to a total depth of 4092 metres below sea level.<.SXEP> of which it is a component.


Friday, 30 April, 2004, 11:20 GMT  | last updated: Thursday, 28 April, 2005, 14:20 GMT

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