THE Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted clearance for DNO to use the powerful new semi-submersible drilling rig Aker Barents, to drill a wildcat well on block 6603/9 in the Norwegian Sea.
This follows completion of the drilling of wildcat well 6603/5-1S for Shell on Norwegian production licence 392. NPD said the DNO exploration probe would be the first drilled on PL468.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian national oil company Naftogaz Ukrayiny has drawn up a plan for development of national offshore fields in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov over the next eight years.
Fuel and energy minister, Yuriy Boyko, said the development would meet 50% of the former Soviet state’s oil & gas needs.
According to Boyko, the Prykerchenska section on the Black Sea is estimated to harbour 710million barrels of oil, 10.24trillion cu ft of natural gas and 255million barrels of gas condensate.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claims two-thirds of the Palas structure is located on Ukrainian territory. It has estimated recoverable reserves of 5.58trillion cu ft of gas and about 328million barrels of oil.
Naftogaz Ukrayiny and Russian gas behemoth Gazprom are preparing to establish a joint venture for the development of the Palas reserves.
In Asia-Pacific, Indonesia’s national oil company, Pertamina, has signed up the national oil company of Malaysia and Total for the joint development of the offshore East Natuna gas resource in the South China Sea.
Pertamina has been seeking a number of partners to help spread the risk and costs associated with development.