Statoil cleared for new Sverdrup probe

Lined up: Ocean Vanguard

EIVIND SENNESET

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Steve Marshall

 08 January 2013 15:13 GMT

Statoil has been given the green light by Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority to drill an exploration well on the southern margin of the Johan Sverdrup discovery targeting a possible extension of the mammoth find.

The state-owned explorer intends to use Diamond Offshore’s 1982-built semi-submersible Ocean Vanguard to sink the 16/5-3 probe in Statoil-operated production licence 502, with drilling expected to take about 36 days.

The North Sea well, to be drilled in a water depth of 108 metres, is reported to be targeting hydrocarbons in the Upper Jurassic Draupne formation, with a pilot hole to be drilled initially to test the presence of gas.

Statoil holds a 44.44% stake as operator of the licence with Petoro on 33.33% and Det norske holding 22.22%.

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