Norwegian Energy Company ASA (Noreco) has started the drilling of exploration well 7228/1-1 on the Eik prospect in the Barents Sea.
The Eik-prospect in the PL 396 license is located northeast in the Barents-sea, 210 kilometres northeast of the North Cape, and about 75 kilometres east of the gas discovery Nordvarg. Noreco, the operator of the license is using the Transocean Barents semi-submersible drilling rig. Drilling operations are expected to last for about 35 days.
“This is an exciting area, and we are very excited about being present here” , says Yngve Vassmyr, CEO of Front Exploration AS , which owns 33 per cent in the licence.
The prospect is one of the two easternmost licenses in the Barents-sea, not far from the recently clarified delimitation line between Norway and Russia. Even farther east is the Elbrus-prospect in PL 536, where Front Exploration holds a 20 percent share in the license.
The partners in licence PL396 are Noreco (operator, 50 percent), Front Exploration (30 percent) and Petoro (20 percent).
[mappress] Offshore Energy Today Staff, March 30, 2012; Image: Transocean