Offshore staff

STAVANGER, Norway -- The jackup West Epsilon has started drilling the Biotitt prospect, the first of four North Sea exploration wells for Statoil. The rig operator Seadrill signed a three-year charter with Statoil this summer.

Biotitt is in Norwegian block 16/4 in production license 339, north-east of the Sleipner West field. Drilling is expected to take 40 days, the aim being to prove gas and condensate that could be produced through the Sleipner A platform.

The rig will then drill two more wells in the southern Norwegian sector, on the Ermintrude structure in block 15/6 (part of production license 303), and on Ragnarock in PL 265. It will later explore the `cellar' area beneath Statoil's Huldra field in PL 051.

12-28-2006