Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway --Norway's Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has offered 10 extra production licenses to 22 oil companies under the country's Awards in Pre-defined Areas 2006 program. This brings the total number of licenses issued under the round to 58, up from 45 in APA 2005.
The government awarded 48 licenses this January, but suspended the other 10 pending certain work assurances from the applicants. These have now been resolved. Two of the latest awards are in the Barents Sea, two in the Norwegian Sea, and six in the North Sea.
DNO led the way with three operatorships, followed by Nexen with two, and Hydro, OMV, Petro-Canada, Statoil, and Wintershall, all with one each. Fifteen other companies comprise the co-licensees.
One of the DNO licenses includes a chalk prospect and lead, both 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of BP's Valhall field. The partners are committed to reprocessing existing 3D seismic to identify a drilling location, ahead of a decision to drill or relinquish the acreage within two years. One of the Nexen licenses includes the 34/8-7 gas discovery.
6/1/2007
