ConocoPhillips gets green light to use ‘Rowan Norway’ at Ekofisk

The Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has granted ConocoPhillips consent to use the Rowan Norway drilling rig for plugging and abandonment of wells at Ekofisk 2/4 B, offshore Norway.

Ekofisk is an oil field lying in 70-75 metres of water in the southern North Sea. The field was produced to tankers until a concrete storage tank was installed in 1973.

Since then, the field has been further developed with many facilities, including riser facilities for associated fields and export pipelines.

According to the safety authority, the operation is scheduled to start in February 2016.

Rowan Norway is a jack-up drilling rig built in 2011 at Keppel Fels in Singapore. It is registered in Panama and classified by DnV GL.

The rig received Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) on December 21, 2012.

The PSA has now granted ConocoPhillips consent in accordance with the application.