OMV spuds Oswig offshore Norway

OMV has started drilling exploration well 30/5-4 S in the Norwegian North Sea, targeting the Oswig prospect with an estimated 93mn barrels of oil equivalent in gross unrisked mean resources.

Project partner Longboat Energy, which owns a 20% stake, said August 1 that Oswig would target high pressure, high temperature Jurassic rotated fault block, across two separate intervals in the Tarbert and Ness formations.

Oswig's geological chance of success is pegged at 36%, with key risks seen as reservoir quality and the "seal" of the fault rocks.  OMV owns a 40% operated stake in PL 1110, with the remaining 60% split evenly between Longboat, Source Energy and Wintershall Dea, each holding 20%. OMV's drilling campaign is being undertaken by the Maersk Intrepid jack-up rig.

Oswig is the second Norwegian gas-focused exploration well backed by Longboat so far this year, following a dry well at Equinor-operated Ginny/Hermine in February.

A third well backed by Longboat - Copernicus in PL 1017 - is due to launch in the current financial quarter. Copernicus will target 254-471mn barrels of oil equivalent in gross mean prospective resources.  A further prospect in Longboat's campaign -  OMV's Velocette in PL1016 - will be drilled in the second quarter of 2023.