Strong increase in drilling exploration in Northern Norway

More than half of the 30 new explorations wells that Statoil is planning on drilling in 2017 are located on the Norwegian continental shelf. This represents a 30 percent increase compared with 2016.

SVP Exploration of Statoil, Tim Dodson, says the company’s 2017 drilling program is strong.

- Through exploiting our own improvements and changed marked conditions we get more wells, larger search areas and more seismic activity for our exploration activities the past few years. This enables us to plan a strong drilling program for 2017, with approximately 30 wells where we are operator and partner, Dodson says.

The exploration well program has a good balance between proven, well-known basins and new, unexplored areas.

5-7 wells in the Barents Sea are crucial in the 2017 activity plan. The goal for the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea is to prove volumes near existing fields in order to prolongue the life expectancy of existing infrastructure, as well as deciding on the growth potential.

Statoil expects to complete a total of 16-18 exploration wells on the Norwegian shelf in 2017.

In 2016, Statoil completed a total of 23 wells as operator and partner, 14 of which were on the Norwegian continental shelf.