The Iris Hades gas and condensate field will be developed with a four-slot subsea template on the Halten terrace in the Norwegian Sea. Credit: OMV (Norge).
The Iris Hades field is located in PL 644, PL 644 B and PL 644 C in the Norwegian Sea. Credit: Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
OMV and Equinor signed an agreement in June 2019 to prepare the development concept for the Iris Hades project. Credit: Equinor.

Iris Hades is a gas and condensate field proposed to be developed at a water depth of about 280m on the Halten Terrace, a hydrocarbon basin in the Norwegian Sea.

The field is operated by OMV (Norge), a Norwegian subsidiary of the Austrian oil and gas company OMV, with a 30% working interest. Equinor, DNO Norge and Spirit Energy also hold 40%, 20% and 10% interest in the field, respectively.

OMV and Equinor prepared the development concept for the Iris Hades project in accordance with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that they signed in June 2019.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) conducted an audit of OMV to verify the project management and execution of the Iris Hades field development project in May 2022.

OMV (Norge) expects to submit the plan for development and operation (PDO) to the authorities by the end of 2022.

Iris Hades field location and geology

The Iris Hades field lies within the production licence (PL) 644, PL 644 B and PL 644 C, near the Morvin, Asgard and Kristin fields, which are operated by Equinor.

The field comprises two separate reservoirs, Hades and Iris, containing gas and condensate in sandstones. Hades is situated in the Cretaceous-era Lange formation, while Iris lies in the Jurassic-era Garn formation.

Discovery details of Iris Hades field

Iris Hades was discovered by the exploration well 6506/11-10 in April 2018. The well was drilled by Deepsea Bergen, a semi-submersible drilling rig owned by Odfjell Drilling, in PL 644 B about 245km north-west of the Kristian field and 5km north-west of the Morvin field in the central Norwegian Sea.

The exploration well’s primary exploration target was the Lange formation, while the secondary target was the Garn formation. It intercepted a 35m-long gas-condensate column in the Lange formation in Hades, about 15m of which comprises the reservoir with moderate to good properties.

Hades was estimated to hold resources of between 19 million barrels of oil equivalent (Mmboe) and 113Mmboe in the Lange formation, based on preliminary estimates.

The exploration well encountered a gas condensate column of about 95m in the secondary target Garn formation in Iris, 85m of which constitutes the reservoir, having moderate to very good properties. It intercepted gas-water contact at 4,295m below sea level.

Preliminary estimates at the time of discovery estimated recoverable hydrocarbons in Iris at between 19Mmboe and 132Mmboe.

Appraisal details

The appraisal wells for the Iris and Hades gas condensate discoveries were drilled in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

The appraisal well 6506/11-11 S was drilled about 20km west of the Asgard field for the delineation of the Iris gas condensate discovery. It was drilled to a vertical depth of 4,433m and measured depth of 4,443m below sea level, using the Deepsea Bergen drilling rig.

Drilled at a water depth of 382m in PL 644, the appraisal well encountered a 70m gas column in the Garn formation and multiple sandstone layers, totalling 55m with moderate to good reservoir properties.

It indicated an estimated resource of between 25.15Mmboe and 75.47Mmboe.

The appraisal well 6506/11-12 S was drilled on the Hades gas condensate discovery, about 5km west of the Morvin field. It was drilled to a measured depth of 4,150m and vertical depth of 4,062m below sea level, using the Island Innovator drilling rig.

The 6506/11-12 S well intercepted an 8m-long gas column in the Lange formation, having about 83m of sandstone layers with poor to moderate reservoir properties. It was terminated in the Lange formation.

Following the appraisal, the resource estimate of the Hades prospect was revised to between 12.58Mmboe and 44Mmboe.

Iris Hades field development plan

Iris Hades is a high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) field proposed to be developed with a four-slot subsea production system, including three producing wells. It will be tied back to the Asgard B platform, which is operated by Equinor.

Contractors involved

TechnipFMC received an integrated front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract, worth Nkr30m ($3.35m), for the development of the subsea production system for the project in March 2022.

Heavelock Solutions, which has expertise in advanced downhole surge and swab simulations, was contracted to provide simulation services for well planning for the Iris Hades field.