StatoilHydro pursues further North Sea targets

Offshore staff

STAVANGER -- StatoilHydro Petroleum has experienced a rare failure with its latest exploratory well in the Norwegin North Sea.

The wildcat 30/9-23, drilled by the Transocean Winner at a location between the Brage and Oseberg fields, was an attempt to prove petroleum in Upper-Mid Jurassic reservoir rocks in the Viking and Brent groups, but the outcome was a dry hole.

StatoilHydro will now drill another wildcat in North Sea production license PL 442, following clearance from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA). The well will be drilled by the semisub Ocean Vanguard, 20 km (12.4 mi) east of the decommissioned Frigg field.

PSA has also approved another of the company’s submissions for an appraisal well in PL 50, close to the Gullfaks and Gullfaks South fields.

In the Norwegian Sea, two other operators gained sanction for new wells. Norske Shell’s 6305/5-3, to be drilled by the Leiv Eriksson, is designed to appraise part of the Ormen Lange field. Around 40 km (24.9 mi) to the east, Det norske oljeselskap will use the newbuild harsh environment semi Aker Barents for a wildcat in PL 321.

08/28/2009