Oil giant, Statoil, will look to establish a new onshore integrated operations centre (IOC) to enhance safety measures in the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
Statoil has made a second gas discovery in the Roald Rigg prospect in the Norwegian Sea.
It marks the second discovery in the Aasta Hansteen area this year.
Last month, well 6706/12-2 was drilled by Transocean Spitsbergen and proved a 105-metre gas column in the Nise Formation.
Irene Rummelhoff, senior vice president exploration Norway in Statoil, said:“Statoil has completed a targeted two-well exploration programme around Aasta Hansteen which aimed to test additional potential in the area and make the Aasta Hansteen project more robust.
Drilling of the Roald Rygg prospect in the Norwegian Sea has begun.
Atlantic Petroleum said well 6706/12-3 had been spudded using the Transocean Spitsbergen rig.
It is planned to drill to a total depth of 3420 metres and operations are expected to around 35 days.
