Statoil recently announced that a 19-month drilling campaign in the Flemish Pass off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, has resulted in two discoveries of oil in the Bay du Nord area.
According to Statoil, the discoveries at the Bay de Verde and Baccalieu prospects have reduced uncertainty about the commercial potential of the field.
Reserves for the Bay du Nord site were originally estimated between 300 and 600 million barrels, and Statoil says it appears the final volumes will be at the lower end of that range.
Nine wells were drilled near the discovery, about 500 kilometres east of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Only 17 wells in total have been drilled in the harsh environment of the Flemish Pass Basin.
A Senior Vice President for Statoil Exploration said the company was encouraged by the new discoveries. The drilling program began in November 2014 and was extended by a month to allow for the drilling of the Baccalieu well.
Statoil says it is still assessing the commercial potential of the Bay du Nord discovery.