Offshore staff

OSLO, Norway – The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has authorized Wintershall to drill an exploratory well in the Norwegian North Sea, 8 km (4.9 mi) northeast of the company’s Grosbeak discovery.

The semisub Songa Delta will drill well 35/9-7 in production license 418, comprising part-blocks 35/8 and 35/9. This will be the first well on the license which was awarded in February 2007 under Norway’s APA 2006 round.

Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Norway has cleared Det norske oljeselskap for an exploratory well 31 km (19 mi) north of the Hemidal complex in the North Sea, using the semisub Aker Barents.

Well 25/1-12 will be drilled in PL 460 in 102 m (334 ft) water depth. The program should start this spring and last around 40 days.

PSA has also granted Marathon Oil permission to use the semisub Transocean Winner to drill oil production well 24/6-B-5 on the Alvheim field in the North Sea.

Drilling should start this month and take 140 days to complete. Water depth in the area is 120-130 m (393-426 ft).

2/16/2012