Offshore staff

Statoil spudded its first exploration well on the Tulipan prospect in the Norwegian Sea using theEirik Raude semisubmersible. The well is west of Hydro's Ormen Lange gas field on block 6302/6 in 1,250 m water depth. Drilling should take two to three months and reach 3,000 TD beneath the seabed.

"Only 10 deepwater wells have been drilled off Norway until now, so the area is little explored," Knut Chr Grindstad, exploration manager for the Norwegian Sea, says

During 2005 Statoil plans to drill two more exploration wells in this region.

5/31/05