Statoil receives consent to drill well in Barents Sea

According to the Petroleum Safety Authority of Norway, Statoil Petroleum AS has received consent for exploration drilling using the Transocean Spitsbergen mobile drilling facility to drill well 7220/2-1 Isfjell in production licence 714.

The well is located in the Barents Sea, approximately 219 km from the nearest mainland at Ingøy in Måsøy municipality, Finnmark. Water depth at the site is approximately 429 m.

Drilling is planned to begin in August 2014, for duration of approximately 30 days, depending on whether a discovery is made.

In its decision to grant permission under the Pollution Act, the Norwegian Environment Agency has determined that Statoil may not drill in oil-bearing strata before 18 September 2014. This condition has been set to allow for appeals before the riskiest part of the operation gets under way.

Transocean Spitsbergen is a semi-submersible drilling facility of the Aker H-6e type.

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/exploration/02092014/statoil-receives-drilling-consent-in-barents-sea-1373/