By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 7 -- Statoil has suspended drilling of the Ballena 1-X well on Block 4 in the Plataforma Deltana area off Venezuela for safety reasons.
Statoil said the technical standard of Transocean Inc.'s Sovereign Explorer semisubmersible failed to meet Statoil's requirements for safe drilling in high-pressure reservoirs in spite of 6 weeks of extensive repairs.
Statoil, operator of the block, said it is searching for another rig and will resume operations as soon as possible.
It is committed to drilling at least three exploratory wells in 4 years on the block, which it received in February 2003 (OGJ Online, Jan. 04, 2005).