Statoil said it has agreed with OMV to acquire a 30% working interest in a Petroleum Exploration Permit in New Zealand.
The permit covers an area of 9,800 square kilometres in the East Coast Basin and sits in water depths of between 1,000-2,000 metres.
OMV will remain the operator with a 70% working interest.
Nicholas Alan Maden, senior vice president for exploration in Statoil, said: “This is an underexplored area with the potential for multiple plays, offering a considerable exploration upside.
“We now hold a working interest in more than 46,000 square kilometres of exploration acreage in New Zealand, and all of these permits have staged exploration programmes. This is in line with
our exploration strategy of accessing at scale.”
The permit is adjacent to permits 57083, 57085 and 57087 which were awarded to Chevron and Statoil in 2014.
The Norwegian operator said it will work with OMV on the exploration programme in permit 57073.
This includes geological and geophysical studies as well as seismic acquisition over the coming years.
The work undertaken will provide information necessary to decide if, in 2021, a well commitment should be made in the permit.
In addition to the partnerships with Chevron and OMV in the East Coast and Pegasus basins, Statoil also operates two exploration permits in the Reinga basin.
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