Stella Maris CCS

Press release 2. June 2025

Havstjerne CCS prospect completes CO2 storage appraisal well with positive results

Harbour Energy has completed the drilling of a storage appraisal well in the Havstjerne CO2 storage licence in the Norwegian North Sea. Early results confirm a suitable reservoir quality for injection and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2).
“We are pleased to have safely delivered a CO2 storage appraisal well, ahead of schedule and budget. The well results indicate that the subsurface environment in the Havstjerne reservoir is suitable for storing CO2 emissions. Based on this, Harbour and its partner Stella Maris CCS will continue developing technical and commercial plans,” said Kevin Meisel, Norway Country Lead for CCS in Harbour.
The CO2 storage appraisal well, which also injected water into the reservoir to test its size and permeability, was drilled 30km southeast of the Yme platform in the southern part of the Norwegian North Sea.
The well is the first in the exploration license EXL 006 (Havstjerne), awarded in May 2023 and is the first of its kind to be drilled by an independent oil and gas company to investigate the possibility of commercial CO2 storage on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The Deepsea Nordkapp semisubmersible rig was used for the drilling operation

Following detailed technical analysis of the well results, Harbour Energy will progress commercial discussions with potential emitter partners across Europe and seek to mature long term storage agreements.

Havstjerne is part of the STARFISH project, which was awarded an EU Innovation fund grant of €225 million, payable depending on meeting certain conditions throughout the project lifetime after final investment decision.

Geological information
The objective of well 9/6-1 was to investigate whether Middle Jurassic and Middle and Upper Triassic reservoir rocks in the Havstjerne project are suitable as a storage site for CO2.

Well 9/6-1 encountered:

  • The Tau Formation (caprock), 115 metres of homogeneous shale
  • The Egersund Formation (caprock), 58 metres of sealing shale and dense siltstone
  • The Sandnes Formation (reservoir), 97 metres of sandstone, good reservoir quality
  • The Bryne Formation (reservoir), 52 metres of sandstone, moderate reservoir quality
  • The Skagerrak Formation (reservoir), 200 meters of sand- and siltstone of very poor reservoir quality

The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 3366 metres below sea level and was terminated in the Skagerrak Formation in the Upper Triassic. Water depth at the site is 90 metres.

Formation pressure data indicates that the rocks in the Sandnes and Bryne formations are located in a regional hydrostatic pressure gradient for this area.

Extensive volumes of data have been acquired from the reservoir and caprocks. An injection test has also been conducted. Preliminary results are positive.

The data will now be subject to further analysis, and the results will become part of the basis for future decisions regarding investment in the Havstjerne storage project.

The well has been permanently plugged and abandoned.

Partnership: Harbour Energy Norge AS (60%), Stella Maris CCS AS (40%)

Sign up to newsletter