20-09-09 VNG Norge (Operations), formerly Endeavour Energy Norge has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 35/3-7 S in the north-eastern part of the Norwegian North Sea.
The well, which proved gas, was drilled about 50 km north of the Gjoa field. The objective of the well was to prove petroleum in reservoir rocks from the Early Cretaceous Age.

The well proved gas in the Agat formation in the Lower Cretaceous. Preliminary estimates indicate that the size of the discovery in 35/3-7 S, together with previously proven gas discoveries in the licence (35/3-2 and 35/3-4, collectively called Agat, proven in 1980), is between 3 and 8 bn cm of recoverable gas.
Viewed together with the 35/3-2 Agat discovery, the licensees characterise the discovery in 35/3-7 S as interesting, and it will be evaluated for potential future development. The well was not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out.

This is the second exploration well in production licence 270, and thefirst well drilled by VNG Norge (Operations) AS on the Norwegian shelf. The licence was awarded in the North Sea Awards 2000 (NST 2000).
The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 3,945 metres below the sea surface, and was terminated in the Asgard formation in the Lower Cretaceous. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.

VNG Norge (Operations) is the operator with a 65 % ownership interest with licence partners RWE Dea Norge with a 15 % stake and VNG Norge with a 20 % stake.
The 35/3-7 S was drilled at a water depth of 257 metres by the Bredford Dolphin drilling facility, which will now proceed to production licence 027D in the North Sea to drill wildcat well 25/8-17 where ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Norway is the operator.