Marathon, awards contract offshore Norway

BJ Services Co. has announced that Marathon Petroleum Co. (Norway) has awarded its Well Services Division for Europe and Africa a contract to provide cementing services for a number of its wells offshore Norway.

Marathon awarded the contract to support operations approximately 140 mi west of Stavanger on theDeep Sea Bergen rig for the Alvheim field, which comprises the Kneler, Kameleon, and Boa discoveries. It is estimated that the Alvheim field contains resources of approximately 180 MMboe.

BJ will provide cementing services for 11 wells on the Alvheim field in the next two years, in keeping with Marathon's goal to produce first oil in early 2007. It has started the first phase of the contract, which involves detailed engineering planning, with plans to begin providing cementing operations in summer 2005 and operations will be carried out from its base in Tananger, Norway.

"As we have been operating successfully for many years on behalf of a number of operators in Norway's harsh environment, this contract award is a testament to the confidence that Marathon places in BJ's ability to deliver our specialist cementing services in the region," said Alasdair Buchanan, Well Services region manager-Europe and Africa for BJ Services. "As this is Marathon's first development to be carried out in Norway, it is critical that they receive the benefit of our engineering, technical, and operational expertise. I am confident that BJ will deliver cementing services on Alvheim field in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner," he added.

03-02-05