Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway – Lundin Norway has permission from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to drill an appraisal well on the Gohta discovery in the Barents Sea.
The company operates the surrounding production license 492, comprising blocks 7120/1 and 7120/2.
The semisubmersibleLeiv Eirkisson will drill well 7120/1-5 at a location 185 km (115 mi) northwest of Hammerfest in 368 m (1,207 ft) of water. Drilling should last 73 days – the program may include a well test.
In the North Sea, Norske Shell became operator earlier this year of the producingKnarr field following parent company Shell’s acquisition of BG Group.
The field, 50 km (31 mi) northeast of Snorre, produces via subsea wells connected to theFPSOPetrojarl Knarr. Oil is offloaded to shuttle tankers, while the gas is piped to St. Fergus in eastern Scotland.
In early October, PSA conducted an audit of how Shell is managing integrity of the flexible risers, transfer lines and associated safety equipment and of the floater provider Teekay’s activities as production operator (Petrojarl Knarr FPSO received Acknowledgement of Compliance from the PSA in October 2014).
The audit revealed non-conformities relating to:
- Overpressure protection of gas export pipeline
- Follow-up of overpressure protection performance requirements
- Passive fire protection
- Follow-up of flexible pipelines.
PSA has given the companies until Feb. 1, 2017 to report on how they plan to resolve these issues.
12/30/2016
