Norwegian offshore safety watchdog, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), has given its consent to Statoil to drill four survey wells at the Johan Sverdrup field, offshore Norway, using the Deepsea Atlantic semi-sub rig.
Statoil is the operator of the Johan Sverdrup field, which is located in the North Sea around 155 kilometers west of Karmøy in Rogaland county. Partners in the field include Lundin Norway, Petoro, Aker BP, and Maersk Oil.
The PSA said on Monday that the consent was given to Statoil in order to obtain information about the reservoir conditions in the field. The safety watchdog provided two separate consents, one for one of the wells and one for the other three.
The drilling, which will be done at a depth of 110-120 meters, will begin on November 1, 2016, and will last around four months.
The Deepsea Atlantic, of a MODU GVA 7500 type, was built by South Korea’s DSME shipyard in 2009. The rig is classified by DNV GL, operated by Odfjell Drilling, and issued with an Acknowledgment of Compliance in July 2009.
The Johan Sverdrup field will be developed using four fixed platforms connected by bridges. Production from the field is expected to begin in late 2019.