Norwegian oil and gas major Statoil ASA (STO) said
Tuesday that a group of 17 oil and gas companies have established a
project for joint seismic acquisition in the southeastern Barents Sea.
MAIN FACTS:
-At the request of the Norwegian Ministry of
Petroleum and Energy, the industry has decided to jointly acquire
seismic 3D data from the blocks in the southeastern Barents Sea that
will be announced in the 23rd licensing round for the Norwegian
continental shelf (NCS) in 2014.
-Thirty companies showed interest in participating in such a collaboration.
-Monday, 17 of these companies signed an agreement to
establish a joint project for planning and implementing the acquisition.
-As the largest operator on the Norwegian shelf Statoil has taken on the operator role.
-Gro G. Haatvedt, Statoil's senior vice president for
exploration on the NCS, says: "It will ensure very good data
quality...The initiative lays the foundation for fewer, well-planned
operations, thus reducing acquisition costs and potential disadvantages
for the fishing industry."
-Other oil companies will get a new opportunity to engage in the project.
-The project will immediately initiate a tender process for
the seismic acquisition. The plan is for the seismic surveys to start in
April 2014 and conclude in the autumn of the same year.
-The companies taking part from the beginning are BP PLC (BP),
Chevron Corp (CVX), ConocoPhillips (COP), Det norske oljeselskap ASA
(DETNF), Eni
S.p.A (E), GDF Suez SA (GSZ.FR), Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd (5019.TO),
Lukoil Holdings (LKOH.RS), Lundin Petroleum AB (LUPE.SK), Norske Shell,
PGNiG, Repsol SA (REP.MC), Spike, Statoil, Suncor Energy Inc (SU), VNG
and Wintershall AG.