Equinor’s Deimos Wildcat Comes Up Dry in Barents Sea
Equinor has declared the Deimos wildcat in the Barents Sea a dry hole after finding no commercial hydrocarbons. The exploration well 7117/4-1, in production license 1238, was drilled by the semi-submersible COSLProspector about 135 km west of the Snøhvit field and 260 km northwest of Hammerfest, in 283 m of water.
The well is the first in PL1238, awarded in March 2024 (APA 2023). Equinor operates the license with partners Vår Energi and Petoro. COSLProspector drilled to a vertical depth of 2,511 m below sea level, terminating in the Middle Eocene Torsk Formation.
Deimos targeted Eocene reservoir sands in the Torsk Formation, with a secondary objective in Paleocene sands lower in the same formation. Drilling encountered unusually high pressure in the Eocene section, prompting a technical sidetrack. The primary objective did not contain reservoir rock, and the secondary target was not achieved. Above the main target, the well intersected a 4-m sandstone interval with good reservoir quality within the Torsk Formation, but not sufficient to alter the appraisal outcome.
No formation testing was performed, but extensive data and samples were acquired. The well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.
COSLProspector—rated for harsh environments—can operate in water depths up to 1,500 m and drill to 7,500 m. The rig is under a multi-year framework that secures capacity for Equinor and Vår Energi through 2026.
Despite the dry result, Equinor noted the well contributed valuable subsurface data to refine the Barents Sea play model and future prospect evaluation.
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