Statoil today confirmed it had kick-started production drilling on its flagship Johan Sverdrup development.
Kjetel Digre, senior vice president for the Johan Sverdrup project, said: “The Deepsea Atlantic drilling rig is currently predrilling the first production well for the first phase of the Johan Sverdrup development. This is a central operation in a complex Johan Sverdrup puzzle. Predrilling allows the production capacity on the field to be utilised as efficiently as possible when Johan Sverdrup has come on stream late in 2019. This way, we maximize value from the field from day one.”
The Deepsea Atlantic is drilling the first production well on the field through a template that was installed last summer. Seven more wells will be drilled through the template before the rig is moved to drill injection wells on three separate field locations.
Baker Hughes won the NOK1.5billion integrated drilling contract for the site last year. It’s operating on an “integrated drilling services” scheme – the relatively new concept will see the firm provide the work alongside Odjell Drilling. More than NOK4.35billion was awarded for drilling services and the rig for Johan Sverdrup.
Digre added: “Statoil and the drilling service providers have worked as an integrated team in planning the drilling operation. Deepsea Atlantic is a good rig and everything is set for a safe and cost-effective drilling operation on Johan Sverdrup. This is vital to ensure production start from the field at the end of 2019.”
Statoil has awarded more than NOK50billion for the scheme – 70% of the suppliers have a Norwegian billing address.
Johan Sverdrup’s recoverables are estimated to be between 1.4 and 2.4 billion barrels of oil for phase one. The total invested into the project to date is NOK117billion.
Statoil acts as operator for the field, alongside partners Lundin Norway, Petoro, Det norske and Maersk Oil.
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