**OMV Discovers Gas in Norwegian Sea, Eyes Potential Tieback to Aasta Hansteen Field**
In a significant development for the offshore energy sector, OMV (Norge) AS has made a substantial gas discovery in the Norwegian Sea. The discovery, which holds estimated recoverable volumes of 30 to 140 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe), has potential implications for extending the life of the Equinor-operated Aasta Hansteen gas hub.
The exploration well, 6605/6-1 S, was drilled in production license 1194 at a depth of 1064 meters. Operated by OMV with a 40% working interest, the well is co-owned by Vår Energi (30%) and Inpex Idemitsu Norge (30%). This well is part of the Haydn/Monn exploration prospects and is approximately 65 kilometers from the Polarled pipeline and the Aasta Hansteen field, both of which are crucial pieces of infrastructure in the region.
The primary objective of the well was to prove petroleum in Upper Cretaceous reservoir rocks, specifically in the Springar Formation, with a secondary target in the Nise Formation. The well encountered a significant gas column of around 20 meters, 13 of which were in high-quality sandstone reservoir rocks with no gas/water contact. In addition, another 11 meters of gas-filled sandstone layers were found in the lower part of the Springar Formation, and a 5-meter gas column was discovered in the Nise Formation.
Despite the well not being formation-tested, extensive data acquisition and sampling have been conducted. This information will be crucial for further evaluating whether this discovery can be developed and tied back to the existing infrastructure of the Aasta Hansteen field.
OMV’s strategic focus on gas as a transition fuel aligns with its broader aim of increasing its share of gas in the production portfolio to 60% by 2030. This goal supports the