Wintershall books West Mira for North Sea Nova wells

June 28, 2018
Wintershall Norge has contracted Seadrill Norway Operations to manage development drilling for the Nova field subsea tieback to the Gjøa platform in the North Sea.

Offshore staff

STAVANGER, NorwayWintershall Norge has contracted Seadrill Norway Operations to manage development drilling for the Nova field subsea tieback to the Gjøa platform in the North Sea.

Seadrill will operate the semisubmersibleWest Mira on behalf of Northern Drilling. The rig will drill six subsea wells on Nova (ex-Skarfjell) in 370 m (1,214 ft) water depth, starting in 1Q 2020, and may drill up to 10 further wells on other Wintershall Norge-operated assets or exploration acreage under a long-term frame agreement.

Hugo Dijkgraaf, the company’s managing director, said: “We now have in place one of the final pieces of the puzzle that will allow us to build this field and deliver first oil from Nova in 2021.”

TheWest Mira, a newly built sixth generation semi, is designed to operate in all weather conditions. The contract includes incentives for Seadrill in terms of efficient and safe operations.

Nova’s wells will be connected via two templates to the Neptune-operated Gjøa semisubmersible platform, 17 km (10.6 mi) to the northeast, for processing and export.

Gjøa will also provide lift gas to the field and water injection for pressure support in the reservoir. Power for Nova will come from shore (via the Gjøa platform).

Nova, discovered in 2012, is in the northeastern Norwegian North Sea 120 km (75 mi) northwest of Bergen, in Quadrant 35. Wintershall also operates the producing Vega subsea field in this area.

06/28/2018