Oil drill drop in Norwegian waters
The low oil price takes its toll on the Norwegian shelf.
Companies are significantly reducing their activity level in Norway as the oil price remains on low level.
In 2015, the number of well drillings will be almost 30 percent lower than in 2014. This year, a total of 40 wells will be drilled compared with 56 last year, E24.no reports. Statoil is the company with the biggest drop in activities with a near 50 percent cut in the number of wells.
The state-owned company will in 2015 drill between 12-18 wells compared with 28 last year. About 2/3 of the new wells will be drilled with operator responsibilies.
Swedish oil company Lundin will this year be the second-most active company with ten new well drillings. In 2014, the company drilled 13 wells, several of them with successful discoveries.
Lundin, which over the last years has been the most successful explorer in Norwegian waters, stresses that it still has high expectations from the Norwegian shelf.
“Oil prices are cyclical, and history shows that it can fluctuate widely and be difficult to predict. In our industry, we must sit tight and apply a long term view,” says Managing Director of Lundin Norway, Torstein Sanness.
Four of Lundin Norway’s planned exploration and appraisal wells in 2015 will be drilled in the southern Barents Sea. In 2014, the company made a significant discovery on the Alta prospect in the Loppa High area. Two appraisal wells are to be drilled on this discovery. In addition, wild cat wells in production licences PL609 (Neiden) and PL708 (Ørnen) are scheduled during 2015, a press release reads.
