Aker BP has successfully completed the drilling of the Øst Frigg Beta/Epsilon exploration well in the Yggdrasil area, which at 8,168 m target depth, it described as the longest exploration well ever drilled on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The updated estimate of the discovery size is 53 million to 90 million BOE, which is double the original pre-drill estimate and slightly more than the preliminary estimates announced on 25 May.
The discovery, located within production licenses 873 and 442, contributes to increasing the resource base for the ongoing Yggdrasil development by about 10%. The development was recently approved by Stortinget (the Norwegian parliament) and is planned to begin production in 2027.
In license 873, the partnership comprises Aker BP (operator, 47.7%), Equinor (40%), and PGNiG Upstream Norway (12.3%). In license 442, the partnership comprises Aker BP (operator, 87.7%) and PGNiG Upstream Norway (12.3%).