TRANSOCEAN ENABLER

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Greenpeace activists protest near oil rig in Norway's Arctic sea area

Environmental activists protested on Friday near an offshore rig contracted by Statoil in the remote Norwegian Arctic, where the firm is looking for oil and gas deposits. The Nordic country wants to open up northern areas for exploration to offset declining production in the south. Oil and gas production is Norway's leading industry, accounting for 20 percent of its economy. From the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, 11 campaigners launched inflatable boats carrying banners opposing Statoil's Songa Enabler oil rig, 275 km (170 miles) north of the Norwegian coast, in the Arctic Barents sea. One of the banners read "“The People Vs. Arctic Oil”. "We are doing this because the Norwegian government fails to understand what they are supposed to do according to the Paris agreement," protest leader Sune Scheller told Reuters. "The vast majority of the oil and gas has to remain in the ground if we are going to protect our homes from the consequences of climate change," he said before the action. Some 29 activists from 19 different countries, including the Philippines, South Africa, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Spain, Finland and Sweden, participated in the protest near the SONGA ENABLER rig that is operated by Songa Offshore. Among the protesters is Joanna Sustento, a 25-year-old writer from the Philippines, who lost relatives in the 2013 Super Typhoon Yolanda, one of the strongest cyclones on record. Climate change is causing surface waters to warm, which in turn feeds more energy into storms. Rising sea levels can also worsen storm surges. "What happened to my community in Tacloban is an example of things to come for other people if we continue to focus on short-term gain," Sustento told Reuters. On Monday, the Songa Enabler rig found a small gas deposit, which Statoil called disappointing. In its latest oil licensing round, Oslo offered a record number of blocks, brushing off concerns about the risks of drilling in the region. — Source : Reuters

Statoil receives exploration drilling permit in Barents Sea

Oil major Statoil has received the Petroleum Safety Authority's (PSA) consent to drill an exploration well in block 7325 / 4 of the Barents Sea. The well 7325 / 4-1 (Gemini Nord) is located in the Hoop area of the Barents Sea at a water depth of about 447m The site is situated about 275km from Nordkapp and 200km from Bjørnøya (Bear Island). Statoil intends to start drilling the well this month using Songa Offshore rig. Drilling is expected to continue for 19 days. The semi-submersible mobile drilling facility of the CAT D type was delivered by the Daewoo yard in South Korea last year, and is owned and operated by SONGA ENABLER. PSA issued an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) to Songa Enabler in July, which is now registered in Norway and classified by DNV GL. "Statoil intends to start drilling the well this month using Songa Offshore rig. Drilling is expected to continue for 19 days." PSA has also conducted an audit of Statoil’s follow-up of improvement processes under Phase 2 of the Johan Sverdrup development, which is located in the North Sea. The audit focused on the performance of Statoil to identify HSE risks associated with this project and its work, as well as various decisions undertaken during development. The Statoil-operated Johan Sverdrup field is set to be developed in multiple phases. The first phase is currently under development and includes a field centre with facilities for processing, drilling, risers and accommodation. Front end engineering design for the second phase is now underway. Johan Sverdrup field is scheduled to become operational in late 2019. Source : offshore-technology.

Statoil suspends the Songa Enabler mobile rig

Statoil has decided to temporarily suspend the Songa Enabler mobile rig, which was originally scheduled for drilling for the Johan Castberg licence, the company said in its press release. The suspension will apply from completion of a production drilling campaign on the Snøhvit field, which is estimated to the end of November. The rig will be suspended for a period of around four months, pending start-up of an exploration campaign in the Barents Sea. Statoil plans to drill 5-7 exploration wells in this area in 2017. Efforts are further being made to mature other tasks that may involve the rig. http://en.portnews.ru/news/228811/