Report: DEA Norge gets more time for Zidane PDO

Dea Norge, a Norwegian subsidiary of the German oil firm DEA, has reportedly obtained an extension to the August 2 deadline to submit the plan for development and operation (PDO) for its Zidane  offshore gas field.

According to the Norwegian media, the Norwegian petroleum ministry has now given Dea Norge until October 3, 2016.

Offshore.no, a Norwegian-language website covering the energy industry in the Scandinavian country, has cited the energy ministry’s spokesperson who said that the ministry was closely following the Zidane, and that the work there is progressing well.

Offshore Energy Today has contacted both Dea Norge and the ministry of petroleum, seeking confirmation and more info. We will update the article if we get a response.

Zidane

The Zidane is a gas field in the Norwegian Sea discovered in 2010. The Zidane field is located in Production Licence 435, operated by Dea Norge. The Zidane field, located approximately 15 kilometers North West of the Heidrun field and 35 kilometers South of the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea, was awarded in APA 2006. The first well was drilled in September 2010 and discovered a 150 meters gas column in the Fangst group.

The second discovery, drilled to the adjacent structure, was made in 2012. Zidane 2 also discovered a 140 meters column of gas in the same interval. The total size of the discoveries is estimated to between 14 – 22 billion cubic meters of recoverable gas.

The field has been sitting undeveloped for a few years, but Dea Norge in April told Offshore Energy Today that it reached an agreement to tie-in the Zidane resources to the nearby Heidrun facility.

This had been the plan all along, however in September 2014, Dea said the plan would not be submitted as planned in October 2014, as the project needed “further value enhancement”.

The original development concept revealed in early 2013 called for a tie-in to the platform at the Heidrun oil and gas field and a gas export through the Polarled pipeline system.

DEA Norge operates the field with 40% stake,  with partners being OMV Norge 20%, Maersk Oil Norway 20% and Edison Norge 20%.

While the PDO and the final investment decision are yet to be submitted, several reports have claimed that the Zidane could start producing in the second half of 2020. According to a Reuters report from May 2016, the development could cost around $1.2 billion.

Offshore Energy Today Staff