Idemitsu Gets Approval for Exploration Drilling in Norwegian North Sea

Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS has received consent to conduct exploration drilling of well 35/7-1S in the northern part of the North Sea using the mobile facility Aker Barents.

The well will be drilled in production licence 377S, approx. 100 kilometres west of Florø.

The well has the following coordinates: N 61° 21’ 38.86”, E 03° 13’ 11.73”. The water depth at the site is approx. 387 metres.

The plan is to start the drilling activity in May 2011, and it will last for 73 days. If a discovery is made that requires formation testing and drilling of a sidetrack well, the activity will last longer.

Aker Barents is a so-called 6th generation semi-submersible drilling facility built according to the H-6e concept for drilling operations in water depths up to 3000 metres and in arctic regions.

The facility was delivered as a new-build in the summer of 2009, built by Aker Solutions at the Stord yard in Norway.

[mappress]

Source:Ptil , May 11, 2011; Image:Akerdrill