Operator Statoil and its partners in the Brugdan-2 exploration well offshore the Faroes have been left with little to show for their efforts after re-entering the hole, first drilled in 2006, and ending up with a confirmed dry hole.

Atlantic Petroleum, one of the partners in the well in license 006 and operated by Statoil, said the well reached a depth of 4,542 m (14,897 ft) and was “operationally challenging.” No hydrocarbons were found, according to Atlantic, with the well to be plugged and abandoned after being drilled in a water depth of 460 m (1,598 ft).

Drilling was restarted on the 6104/21-2 well originally targeting a four-way dip Tertiary closure previously drilled in 2006 with the 6104/21-1 well.

Neither well managed to penetrate the Vailsa sandstone target, Atlantic indicated.

Statoil operates the 006 license with a 35% interest, with its drilling partners being Atlantic Petroleum (1%), ExxonMobil (49%) and OMV (15%).