Norwest told the market today that the well, operated by Ithaca Energy of Canada, encountered oil saturated sands of low reservoir quality.
"Wireline logs have been run and MDT pressure and fluid sampling has been undertaken, but no oil sample was recovered," it said.
Last month, Norwest farmed-in to earn a 5% stake in Block 11/29, in return for paying 7.5% of the exploration well.
The dry hole well cost was estimated at $US17 million.
The Manuel prospect is located about 12km west of the Beatrice oil field in the Inner Moray Firth Basin.
