Oil and gas company Lundin Energy came up dry in the Bask prospect in the Barents Sea following results from an exploration well drilled with the West Bollsta rig, which will now drill another well for Lundin.

Lundin received a drilling permit from Norwegian authorities for the exploration well 7219/11-1 back in May 2020.

As reported by Lundin on Tuesday, the company is now completing exploration well 7219/11-1, targeting the Bask prospect in licence PL533B, in the southern Barents Sea, northwest of the Alta discovery.

The main objective of the well was to prove hydrocarbons in Paleocene aged sandstones.

The targeted formation contained poorly developed reservoir, and although traces of hydrocarbons were found, it is not considered commercial and the well is classed as dry, Lundin explained.

The Bask well was drilled 35 km northwest of the Alta discovery and due south of the Johan Castberg field by the West Bollsta semi-submersible drilling rig.

Lundin Energy is the operator of PL533B with a 40 per cent working interest and its partners are Aker BP with 35 per cent and Wintershall DEA Norge with the remaining 25 per cent interest.

According to Lundin, the West Bollsta rig will now proceed to drill its operated (65 per cent working interest), Segment D prospect in PL359, adjacent to the Solveig subsea tie-back development project, on the Utsira High.

The well 16/4-13S will target Permian and Triassic aged sandstones, similar to those found at Solveig. On the success of Segment D, the development would be via a low-cost tie-in to the Solveig subsea facilities.

Partners are OMV (Norge) with 20 per cent and Wintershall DEA Norge with 15 per cent working interests.