Statoil has started drilling at the Blåmann well in the Barents Sea, the first of five wells in its exploration program, the Norwegian giant announced.

“At 01:45 last night we started drilling the important exploration wells in the Barents Sea. ‘Blåmann’ is the first of five wells that will give us an idea of the potential in the Barents Sea,” Statoil said via social media.

Blåmann is in production license 849, some 113km northwest of Hammerfest and 25km from Goliat, in 376m water depth.

In March, Statoil received consent from Norway Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to use the Songa Enabler semisubmersible drill at Blåmann (well 7121/8-1), with the possibility of a sidetrack well.

Drilling is scheduled to take 25 days, the PSA said in March. The possible sidetrack, 7171/8-1A, is expected to take 13 days.

Earlier this month, Statoil announced it was on the verge of beginning its Barents program with five to seven new opportunities to occur in the next six months.

Statoil said that its new program will test new targets, both in the relatively well known geology around in the Johan Castberg and Hoop/Wisting area, as well as some new frontier opportunities with greater geological uncertainty but also high impact potential.

Source: www.oedigital.com