By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Aug. 11 -- Statoil ASA has begun drilling an appraisal well on the Tornerose prospect in the Barents Sea.
Transocean Inc.'s arctic-class Polar Pioneer semisubmersible rig is drilling the well in water just over 400 m deep. It expects drilling to take about 40 days.
The well will allow Statoil to prove gas and therefore strengthen the basis for a possible expansion of the Hammerfest LNG plant on Melkoya, the company said.
Tornerose lies about 55 km east of Snøhvit field and 125 km northwest of Hammerfest.
Statoil is operator of Tornerose with a 33.53% holding. The other licensees are Petoro 30%, Total E&P Norge 18.40%, Gaz de France Norge 12%, Amerada Hess Norge 3.26%, and RWE Dea Norge 2.81%.
