APPRAISAL drilling on a find off Norway that Cairn Energy has a stake in has produced encouraging results.

Wintershall said the results of a well on the Skarfjell oil discovery showed it extended south of the original find and also contained gas. The quality of the reservoir exceeded its expectations. Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy acquired a 20% interest in the licence containing Skarfjell through the £280 million takeover of Agora Oil & Gas in April 2012, two weeks before the find was made. Wintershall says the field contains between 120 and 230 million BOE.