**OMV Unveils Significant Gas Discovery in Norwegian Sea, Eyes Potential Tieback to Aasta Hansteen**
In a major breakthrough for the offshore energy sector, OMV (Norge) AS, in partnership with Vår Energi ASA and Inpex Idemitsu Norge AS, has made a substantial gas discovery in the Norwegian Sea. The discovery, located approximately 65 kilometers southwest of the Aasta Hansteen field and 310 kilometers west of Sandnessjøen, has the potential to significantly enhance the region’s hydrocarbon reserves.
The primary exploration target for the discovery was the Springar Formation in Upper Cretaceous reservoir rocks. Drillers encountered a substantial gas column of approximately 20 meters within this formation, with 13 meters of moderate to good-quality sandstone reservoir rocks. Additionally, gas-filled sandstone layers totaling around 11 meters were found in the lower part of the Springar Formation. In the secondary exploration target, the Nise Formation in Upper Cretaceous, a gas column of about five meters was discovered in sandstone reservoir rocks with moderate quality.
The wildcat well, drilled to a vertical depth of 4,641 meters and a measured depth of 5,123 meters below sea level, demonstrated excellent health, safety, security, and environmental performance by the Transocean Norge rig. This drilling operation marked the first exploration attempt in production license 1194, granted to the license partners in February 2023.
The successful discovery is poised to unlock significant potential in the area and extend the life of the Aasta Hansteen gas hub, which OMV already has a stake in. By leveraging existing infrastructure, a subsea development tieback to the Aasta Hansteen spar platform is being considered. This approach is expected to streamline planning and execution, reduce development costs, and decrease the carbon footprint associated with the development project.
OMV aims