Statoil plans to drill 20-25 exploration wells offshore Norway in 2014, operating about two-thirds of them.
In the Barents Sea, the company will drill five to seven wells in the Johan Castberg area, which is northwest of Snohvit oil field, and the Hoop area, northeast of Johan Castberg.
The Johan Castberg area has yielded two oil and gas discoveries, Skrugard and Havis. Statoil has made two natural gas discoveries this year in the area and hopes to find more oil.
In the Hoop area, Statoil is a partner in a September oil discovery called Wisting Central, operated by OMV. In 2014 the Norwegian company will drill the Atlantis and Apollo prospects in the Hoop area about 50 km north of the Wisting Central license.
Statoil’s North Sea exploration next year will concentrate on the area around the King Lear gas-condensate discovery of 2012 and the Utsira High area on which it has established Johan Sverdrup oil field (OGJ Online, Aug. 8, 2013).
In the greater Utsira High area it will drill an appraisal well called Geitungen and a prospect called Tastaveden.
Wells to be drilled in 2014-15 around King Lear are named Romeo, testing northern potential, and Julius, appraising the discovery and testing potential to the south.
Statoil’s activity in 2014 for the Norwegian Sea will be preparation for deepwater exploration the following year in the area of the company’s Aasta Hansteen gas-condensate discovery of 2012 (OGJ Online, Jan. 8, 2013).