NORWAY PARCELS OUT MORE OFFSHORE ACREAGE

Exploration off Norway will get a substantial boost next year from the award of 36 blocks in the North Sea, Haltenbanken, and Barents Sea. In the 13th licensing round, 15 blocks were awarded in the North Sea, six in the Haltenbanken area off mid-Norway, and 15 in the Barents Sea. Major beneficiary of the round was state owned Den norske stats oljeselskap AS, which will operate six of the blocks. The company said for the first time in a decade it was awarded its top choice tract in a licensing

March 18, 1991

2 min read

Exploration off Norway will get a substantial boost next year from the award of 36 blocks in the North Sea, Haltenbanken, and Barents Sea.

In the 13th licensing round, 15 blocks were awarded in the North Sea, six in the Haltenbanken area off mid-Norway, and 15 in the Barents Sea.

Major beneficiary of the round was state owned Den norske stats oljeselskap AS, which will operate six of the blocks.

The company said for the first time in a decade it was awarded its top choice tract in a licensing round-Block 35/10, north of Troll gas field in the North Sea.

Other features of the round were the appearance of a new operator, Deminex (Norge) AS of Germany, which acquired Block 15/6 just north of Sleipner field, also in the North Sea.

Affiliates of Ste. Nationale Elf Aquitaine and Total Cie. Francaise des Petroles failed to receive new operatorships.

In accepting two operatorships, Esso Norge AS, along with all other successful licensees, agreed to give Norway's Ministry of Petroleum and Energy the right to rule on disputes over voting rights on all previous licenses.

Esso has been in with its partners in the Sleipner gas development licenses since Statoil sold small interests to Elf and Total.

DRILLING, SEISMIC PROGRAMS

Statoil, which owns an interest in most wells drilled off Norway, said 35 wells have been approved for 1991, compared with 32 wells during 1990. However, start of drilling on 13th round blocks late in the year could boost the total number of 1991 well starts to 43.

For the 13th round, operators included heavy seismic commitments in proposed work programs. Only eight of the new blocks are free from seismic obligations. The trend toward including added seismic surveys was started by Norske Shell in recent rounds and has been taken on board by other operators.

Because demand for seismic vessels in the North Sea is strong, some programs may not be completed until the end of the year or early in 1992.

As a result, the main thrust of 13th round drilling is likely to occur in 1992.

Norway has reduced the initial exploration period on some of the new blocks to 4 years from 6.

Like its counterpart in Britain, Norway's Ministry of Petroleum and Energy is putting pressure on operators to reduce the list of undrilled prospects on retained acreage.