Statoil gains drilling permits for two Norwegian Sea wells

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Statoil a drilling permit for a wildcat well and pilot well in the Norwegian Sea.

The wells, designated 6507/8-9 and 6507/8-U2, will be drilled using the Deepsea Bergen semi-sub after the drilling rig completes the drilling of appraisal well 31/7-2 SA for Faroe Petroleum in production license 740.

The drilling program for wells 6507/8-9 and 6507/9-U2 relates to the drilling of a wildcat well and pilot well in production license 124.

Statoil is the operator of the license with an ownership interest of 35 percent. The other licensees are ConocoPhillips with 27.9 percent, Petoro with 27.1 percent, and Eni Norge which holds the remaining 10 percent of ownership interest.

The NPD said that the area in this permit consists of a part of block 6507/8 and that the wells would be drilled about nine kilometers north of the Heidrun platform.

Production license 124 was awarded on February 28, 1986, in the 10-B licensing round. The 6507/8-9 well will be the eighth wildcat well to be drilled in the license.