Not many oil prospectors are granted the privilege of discovering an unknown giant field in an area most believe is empty of gas. However, Hydro’s exploration team believed that there was something between the seismic lines.
Bjørn Rasmussen was responsible for the team that discovered Ormen Lange hidden in the seismic data. In the background, a virtual, three-dimensional image of the field.
(Foto: StatoilHydro)
“We all got goose bumps when we saw it. There was something special about one of the seismic lines. It showed clear indications of contact surfaces between gas and a water-saturated reservoir rock.
We also noticed that the seismic reflector was a bit fatter in the middle, which could suggest a porous sand containing gas. We were probably looking at the discovery of a new gas field. I took a deep breath. This could actually be a company-maker, a major discovery.”
It had been an exciting time for Bjørn Rasmussen and his team. Lately they had been scrutinizing the shelf off Mid-Norway to look for undiscovered hydrocarbons. The general consensus among the oil companies was that the area did not contain significant deposits.
However, Rasmussen and the team that worked on regional mapping were not so sure that the future was bleak for this part of the shelf.
