There was disappointment for partners in the Wisting Central discovery in the Barents Sea after a follow-up appraisal well came in dry.

Statoil operated the 7324/2-1 in PL615, which was drilled 45 km (28.1 miles) away from the earlier 7324/8-1 Wisting Central discovery located 350 km (218 miles) north of Hammerfest in northern Norway.

The appraisal well was targeting a primary middle Jurassic to late Triassic interval, where 15 m (49.2 ft) of good reservoir quality was found. In a secondary late Triassic target, another 170 m (557 ft) of reservoir rock was encountered, but with just a few meters of good quality. The well was classed as dry, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate disclosed.

Operating in a water depth of 443 m (1,453 ft), the well was drilled by semisubmersible Transocean Spitsbergen, which will drill a second well in the same license.