Shell’s Norway-based subsidiary Norske Shell has failed to find petroleum after drilling into a wildcat well situated near Ormen Lange field in the Norwegian Sea.

According to Norway’s energy regulator the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), Norske Shell drilled a dry well in an effort to find petroleumin Lower Paleocene to Upper Cretaceous reservoir rocks in the Egga and Springar formation.

Drilling of the well bearing the number 6304/3-1 was carried out in the southern part of Norwegian Sea, nearly 35km north-west of the Ormen Lange field, and approximately 165km northwest of Molde.

The well comprises about 9m thick reservoir rocks in the Egga and Springar formation with poor reservoir quality.

It was drilled vertically to a depth of 3,604m below sea level and completed in the Nise formation in the Upper Cretaceous.

The depth of water at the drilling site is 1,228m.

In addition, NPD noted that data acquisition from the well has been carried out, but the well is yet to undergo formation-testing.

Drilling into the well represents the first effort being carried out under production licence 832, which was granted to Norske Shell in 2015.

Norske Shell used the Scarabeo 8 drilling facility to drill the well 6304/3-1, which has been decided to be permanently plugged and abandoned.

The Scarabeo 8 drilling facility is expected to be used in the upcoming drilling of wildcat well 6406/6-5 in the Norwegian Sea by Total E&P Norge.

Last month, NPD revealed that Wellesley Petroleum drilled a wildcat well in the North Sea.

The well, which was drilled nearly 2km south of the Grosbeak oil and gas discovery in the northern part of the North Sea, was found to be dry.