Statoil AS's Statfjord A platform in the Norwegian North Sea shut down Sept. 16 for a planned 14-day maintenance and equipment turnaround, said Statoil. Just over 200,000 bo/d are now flowing through Statfjord A, including 50,000 b/d from its own wells and roughly 150,000 from Norsk Hydro AS's Snorre field.
Transocean Sedco Forex Inc., Houston, said Sept. 19 that its newly constructed, ultradeepwater drillship Discoverer Spirit has completed acceptance criteria testing and has commenced a 5-year, $372 million contract with Unocal Corp.'s Spirit Energy 76 division in the US Gulf of Mexico. The rig is en route to the Dana Point prospect on Walker Ridge Block 678.
Fletcher Challenge Energy Ltd.'s Maui B-7 well was brought on stream in early September at 10,000 b/d of oil, increasing New Zealand's oil production by more than 60%, said Crown Minerals, a part of the New Zealand government. Production from existing Maui B wells had been less than 7,000 b/d. Fletcher Challenge Energy owns 68.75% interest in the Maui field; Shell (Petroleum Mining) Co. Ltd., 18.75%; and Todd Petroleum Mining Co. Ltd., 12.5%.
