Statoil has reduced its working interest in the US southern Marcellus onshore asset from 29 to 23% in a $394million deal with Southwestern Energy. The deal covers 515,000 acres in the southern part of the Marcellus, with the divested share representing 30,000 acres. The Norwegian company’s third quarter production from the Marcellus play amounted to 130,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Schlumberger has been awarded a drilling contract on the Mariner field by Statoil and its co-venturers. The work will be delivered from the company’s Aberdeen base and it will be responsible for al number of services. A total of 22 drilling and well services are included in the scope, including a logistics support responsibility.
Statoil and its partners have decided to develop the Rutil discovery in the Gullfaks Rimfaks valley in the North Sea. The company said it could provide close to 80 million barrels of oil equivalent and extend the lifetime of the Gulfaks A platform. Investment costs involved with the project are estimate to be around $610million.
Statoil will resume its use of the Songa Trym rig next year after a temporary suspension. The company had issued a postponement period for a number of contracts due to higher costs and low profitability. The Songa Trym is now expected to resume operations in January.
As oil prices keep falling, BP is among Norwegian oil producers having to take a hard look at whether to kill off aging offshore fields earlier than planned because squeezing out the last barrels might not be worth it. BP is currently deciding on plans for the five fields it operates in Norway in a study to be completed in the first half, said Jan Erik Geirmo, a Stavanger-based spokesman. “Falling oil prices, lower production and more demanding operations, in addition to significant costs for shutting down and removing old installations and platforms, are continuous challenges that may have an impact on the lifetime of some of our fields,” Geirmo said in an e-mailed reply to questions. What goes for BP also goes for an industry hit by squeezed margins even as the government demands it meet commitments to keep investing to ensure resources are exploited in full.
Statoil has been awarded four new exploration licences in New Zealand. The permits have been awarded by the government through the country’s 2014 block offer. The Norwegian company will participate in three blocks on the East coast and in the Pegasus basins as a partner. It will also take on operatorship for one new permit next to existing acreage in the Reinga basin.
Statoil has extended the suspension period for a number of rigs due to overcapacity in its portfolio. The Norwegian company said it meant the the COSL Pioneer, Scarabeo 5 and Songa Trym postponement period would now be longer. The rigs were initially suspended until the end of the year.
Work is under way on UK North Sea headquarters for Norwegian oil firm Statoil at the Prime Four business park in Kingswells, Aberdeen.
Statoil has completed its deal with German oil and gas company Wintershall to exit two assets in the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The transaction involves a farm down in Aasta Hansteen, Asterix and Polarled as well as signing over its assets in the non-core Vega and Gjoa fields. Statoil said it would allow it to redeploy around $1.8billion of capital expenditure from now until the end of 2020.
BG Group has revised the salary package for its new chief executive Helge Lund following a backlash from shareholders. Mr Lund, who has been likened to Real Madrid and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo because of his superstar status in the global oil and gas industry, was set to get a £12million “golden hello” in shares and the chance to earn £13.5million a year if he hits performance targets. Mr Lund’s share award has been cut from £10million to £4.7million.
Technip has been awarded a Norwegian subsea contract in the Gullfaks field by Statoil. The French services company has signed the lumpsum contract for the Gullfaks Rimfaksdalen (GRD) Marine Operations Pipelay and Subsea Installation project. Work carried out by Technip could include a subsea tie-back to a new Wye piece on an existing pipeline close to the Gullfaks A platform.
Statoil has cancelled its Stena Carron rig contract making a loss of $350million after disappointing well results in the Kwanza basin in waters off Angola. The company said it will complete its work commitments in the Statoil-operated blocks 38 and 39. The rig contract ended today, Statoil has said.
Statoil has completed its exploration programme in the Barents Sea, completing 10% of all exploration wells drilled in the Barents Sea. The exploration well, between 2013 and 2014, started with five wells in the vicinity of Johan Castberg. These wells were critical, Statoil said, in clarifying the oil potential in the area in order to plans for the Johan Castberg field.
Statoil will suspend its contract with Songa Offshore for one of its rigs following work on a well in the Oseberg field in the North Sea. The rig is currently performing plug and abandonment activity, and Songa said in a statement the work is currently ahead of the planned schedule. The rig is currently performing plug and abandonment activity, and Songa said in a statement the work is currently ahead of planned schedule. From this month, the rig will go on a 75% suspension rate at a cost of $279,000 per day until the end of this year.
Just over a year ago, Statoil decided that it wanted to press ahead with redeveloping the Snorre field in the North Sea t o enable production to continue through to 2040 and perhaps beyond. An evaluation of the “Snorre 2040” project had been carried out with examination of two development concepts: a subsea development with continued use of the Snorre A and B platforms or a project that involved a new platform tied in to Snorre A and B.
Statoil has marked its 500th delivery of cargo from its Snovhit offshore development in the Barents Sea. The Arctic Voyager will carry a cargo of LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) from Melkoya to Aliaga in Turkey.
Statoil has discovered more oil at one of its sites in the North Sea than previously estimated. The Norwegian company said drilling at Well 25/8-18 S, had proved an oil column of 25 metres in the Heimal formation.
Statoil has sold off a share in a number of its Shah Deniz assets to the Malaysian oil and gas company PETRONAS for $2.25billion. The assets include a 15.5% share in the South Caucasus Pipeline Company (SCPC) and a 12.4% share in the Azerbaijan Gas Supply Company (AGSC).
Norwegian energy firm Statoil has confirmed it plans to cut an additional 500 jobs. The company confirmed the job losses would affect workers in DPN (development and production).
Norwegian energy firm Statoil may lose an additional 500 workers on top of 1,400 positions which have already been eliminated. The cuts are believed to affect offshore workers and will be made in a bid to cut costs and improve efficiency.
Statoil has abandoned its wild cat well in the Gulf of Mexico after if failed uncover any commercial returns.