ORLEN Upstream Norway, together with its partners, has discovered a field with recoverable resources estimated at up to 134 million barrels of oil equivalent. This is the largest discovery on the Norwegian Continental Shelf this year. The development of the field and the hydrocarbons extracted from it will support the implementation of ORLEN’s 2035 strategy.
The discovery was made as part of the Omega Alfa project in the Yggdrasil area of the North Sea. The group carried it out in cooperation with operator Aker BP, along with partners Equinor and Petoro. Innovative exploration methods used during drilling enabled both rapid and highly accurate examination of a large area.
The partners first drilled a vertical well to a depth of 2,250 meters, followed by several horizontal wells in different directions. Three of these exceeded 10 kilometers in length, setting a record for horizontal wells on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
“The Omega Alfa project sets new standards in exploration. Thanks to exceptionally long and precisely drilled wells, we collected detailed data that will facilitate and accelerate potential production. The Omega Alfa resources will be integrated into production with other oil and gas fields in the Yggdrasil area, in which ORLEN holds shares and which are currently under development. This will translate into greater extraction efficiency, both financially and operationally,” said Wiesław Prugar, ORLEN Management Board Member for Upstream Operations.
“Crude oil is not only a source of energy but also a raw material used across many industries. From refining crude oil, we obtain, among other things, car parts, roads, and electronics,” he added.
In total, over a three-month period, the partners drilled 45 kilometers of wells, documenting significant hydrocarbon resources, primarily crude oil, estimated at 96–134 million barrels of oil equivalent.
During horizontal drilling, the partners applied geo-steering technology, which allows precise, real-time adjustments to the drilling trajectory based on data from sensors installed just behind the drill bit. This ensures that the well remains within the oil-bearing layer. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by the fact that during Omega Alfa drilling, the partners maintained contact with the reservoir over a combined length of 40 kilometers.
The resources discovered under the Omega Alfa project are located in licenses PL873, PL873B, and PL1249. ORLEN Upstream Norway holds a 12.3% stake in the first two and a 9.84% stake in the last. Other partners are Aker BP and Equinor, with Petoro also involved in PL1249. Based on its license shares, the discovery will provide ORLEN with an additional 10.5–15 million barrels of oil equivalent.
Omega Alfa is ORLEN’s second discovery in Norway this year. Earlier, the company discovered the E-prospect field, with recoverable resources estimated at 3–7 million barrels of oil equivalent. That deposit is located near the Skarv production hub, in which ORLEN Upstream Norway also holds shares.
Source: CEO.com.pl
