Barents Sea License 532

Project Status:

As of end July 2010, Statoil has received permission for drilling at the Skrugard field of license 532 in the Barents Sea.

The Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency granted Statoil permission to drill at the Skrugard field, located to the north of the Snøhvit field about 200 km from the mainland. The agency underlines that the drilling permission at Skrugard includes stricter environmental requirements than normal.

As of late August 2010, after a disappointing Barents Sea drilling campaign in 2008, Statoil is pinning high hopes on the upcoming Skrugard wildcat.

The chance of a discovery is 43%, most probably oil with a gas cap on top.  

Drilling is due to start next month and is expected to take between 36 and 46 days.

As of early February 2011, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Statoil a drilling permit for wellbore 7220/8-1, cf. Section 8 of the Resource Management Regulations.

The drilling program for well 7220/8-1 relates to drilling of a wildcat well in production license 532.

Well 7220/8-1 is located approximately 100 kilometers northwest of the Snøhvit field. The production license consists of the blocks 7219/9, 7220/4, 7220/5, 7220/7 and 7220/8, and was awarded in the 20th licensing round.

Wildcat well 7220/8-1 is the first exploration well in production license 532. 

The permit is contingent on the operator securing all other permits and consents required by other authorities before the drilling activity commences.

As of early April 2011, Statoil, along with partners Eni Norway and Petoro, has made a significant oil discovery on the Skrugard prospect in the Barents Sea. The breakthrough discovery is one of the most important finds on the Norwegian continental shelf in the last decade.

Statoil has plans for both the drilling of a new prospect in the same license next year, and a possible appraisal drilling at Skrugard.

The Skrugard prospect was Statoil's first priority in the 20th licensing round on the Norwegian continental shelf, which was awarded in April 2009. Over the course of the spring the Norwegian government will allocate acreage in the 21st licensing round. Acreage in areas nearby Skrugard is expected to be assigned during the round.

Drilling operations have been conducted in a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Several core samples have been taken in order to understand reservoir properties, and some data collection in the well still remains.

As of end September 2011, Statoil has lined up semi-submersible Aker Barents to drill its next well, 7220/7-1, in Production Licence 532, targeting the Havis prospect.

Statoil is aiming to drill the follow-up well to its landmark Skrugard discovery in the Barents Sea in December 2011. 

The probe will be drilled in 372 metres of water about seven kilometres away from Skrugard. Statoil, the operator hopes to repeat the success of Skrugard, which has estimated resources of 250 million barrels of oil equivalent.

The company is looking at a December spud date, once the rig is finished drilling on the Heilo and Zapffe prospects, also in the Barents.

As of mid November 2011, Statoil is planning to drill an appraisal at its Skrugard discovery in the Barents Sea early 2012.

The 7220/5-1 probe is expected for drilling in January 2012 about three kilometres north of the Skrugard discovery well, 7220/8-1, in Statoil-operated Production Licence 532.

Semi-submersible Aker Barents will be used to drill the well in a water depth of 387 metres, about 200 kilometres off Finnmark county in northern Norway, once Statoil is finished drilling the nearby Havis prospect that is set to be spudded by end 2011. The well to be drilled to a vertical depth of 1740 metres, is targeting the Sto formation and aims to prove communication between the middle and southern sections of the Skrugard reservoir, with drilling estimated to take 49 days.

As of late November 2011, Statoil has received consent to carry out exploration drilling in the Barents Sea with the Aker Barents drilling rig. The consent relates to the drilling of exploration well 7220/7-1 which is part of production licence PL532. The well is located approx. 200 km from the closest point on land, which is Ingøya in Finnmark.

Statoil has kicked off drilling of a wildcat at its Havis prospect in the same Barents Sea license as its earlier Skrugard find.

The 7220/7-1 probe is being drilled by semi-submersible Aker Barents in Production License 532, targeting a structure about seven kilometres from the Skrugard discovery well, and is estimated to take 57 days to complete.

After drilling is completed at Havis, the rig will be mobilized to drill the first appraisal well at Skrugard, dubbed, 7220/5-1, as Statoil aims to prove up additional resources at the discovery, currently estimated to hold 250 million barrels of oil equivalent.

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit to Statoil Petroleum AS for wellbore 7220/5-1, cf. Section 8 of the Resource Regulations.

The drilling program for wellbore 7220/5-1 applies to drilling of an appraisal well in production license 532.

Well 7220/5-1 lies about 100 kilometres north-west of the Snøhvit field and about three kilometres north of discovery well 7220/8-1.

Wildcat well 7220/5-1 is the third exploration well in production license 532.

The drilling permit is contingent upon permits and consents required by other authorities being secured before the drilling starts.

Statoil and its partners are considering developing the Skrugard discovery in the Barents Sea by means of a floating production unit with the additional capacity to process and transport from other prospects in the area.

A feasibility study has identified a technical and commercial solution for the Skrugard field in the Barents Sea. The solution involving a floating production unit will result in the rapid and cost-efficient development of the discovery.

Statoil has found oil in the PL532 license in the Barents Sea, with a recoverable oil volume estimate of between 200 and 300 million barrels.

Havis lies about 7 kilometres southwest of the Skrugard discovery.

Statoil has reportedly spudded the first appraisal well at its Skrugard discovery as it targets additional resource potential at the breakthrough find in the Barents Sea.

The semi-submersible rig Aker Barents started drilling of the 7220/5-1 well – dubbed Skrugard Appraisal in Statoil-operated Production License 532.

(Topco)