Faroese national carrier, Atlantic Airways, has won a major tender with the Norwegian company, Statoil, to provide helicopter support services for oil exploration activities in Faroese waters this year.
The firm will also provide fixed wing transport during the period of exploration drilling, which is expected to start this summer and expected to last for four to five months.
The helicopter service will be provided by a AW139 helicopter, which Atlantic Airways has leased to fulfil the contract.
The airline’s CEO Magni Arge said: “We are very pleased that Statoil has awarded Atlantic Airways this contract. The company is determined to provide a competitive and high quality service to the oil industry and wishes Statoil the best of luck in its search for oil in Faroese waters.”
In addition to helicopters, Atlantic Airways currently operates three British Aerospace Avro RJ aircraft and is due to take delivery of its first Airbus A319 next month.
The as yet untapped Faroese waters are seen as highly prospective despite a number of drilling setbacks.
However, growing success West of Shetland, propels optimisim. Potentially commercial discoveries such as Rosebank, Lochnagar and Tornado are within a few kilometres of the international boundary.
This year’s Brugdan 2 deep well will be drilled by Statoil, in partnership with Exxon Mobil and the Faroese company, Atlantic Petroleum.
The plan is to follow this with a further Statoil well in 2014.
Seven wells have been drilled in Faroese waters to date.