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EurOil                                      NEWS IN BRIEF                                             EurOil







       Neptune to sink two North           industry at a very challenging time”.  activities. However, by rapidly adapting to
                                                                                a new reality and through perseverance,
                                              The company added that the COVID-19
       Sea wells                           pandemic and low oil prices created great   we have managed to bring this new well on
                                           uncertainty for the project. With that in
                                                                                stream without any incidents and within
       The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD)   mind, an assessment was needed to get an   budget and timeframe”.
       has granted Neptune Energy a drilling permit   overview of potential consequences. At the   The Sillimanite gas field, located some
       for two wildcat wells in the North Sea off   same time, Var Energi took compensatory   200 km off the coast of Den Helder, was
       Norway.                             measures to reduce the effects of COVID-19   discovered in 2015 and started production
         The drilling programme for wells 34/4-15  and maintain the progress plan.  in early 2020.
       S and 34/4-15 A relates to the drilling of   The project review showed that the   It is an unusual field as it lies directly
       wildcat wells in production licence 882, the   pandemic resulted in a delay of part   on the maritime border of the Netherlands
       NPD said on June 12.                deliveries, but that the overall plan was still   and the United Kingdom. An agreement
         The two wildcat wells will be drilled   valid.                         between the UK and the Netherlands was
       from the Deepsea Yantai drilling rig after   With the Norwegian Parliament’s   needed before the Sillimanite development
       concluding the drilling of production wells   decision on measures for the industry and   could proceed.
       on the Duva field.                  the other compensatory measures in place,   According to the company, the
         Neptune has already received the   Var Energi stated that it was confident that   production not only starts according to the
       offshore safety clearance to use the Deepsea   the project could be carried out with a   planned schedule but the drilling result
       Yantai rig for these wells.         production start date in the second half of   is also as good as expected and strongly
         The semi-sub is expected to work on the   2022.                        supports the first Sillimanite well.
       two Dugong wells between 44 and 90 days.  Norway’s elder to be rejuvenated
         Neptune Energy Norge is the operator   The Balder Future project will extend
       of the licence with an ownership interest of   the life of the field (PL 001) by 2045, giving   Wintershall Dea adds more
       40%.                                Norway’s oldest license a lifetime of 80
         Other licensees are Concedo (20%),   years.                            time to Energy Swan PSV
       Petrolia NOCO (20%), and Idemitsu      In addition to the upgrade of the Jotun
       Petroleum Norge (20%).              FPSO, 13 new production wells and one   charter
         The area in this licence consists of parts   water injection well will be drilled on the
       of blocks 33/6 and 34/4. The wells will be   field. The project aims to extract another   Norwegian offshore vessel operator
       drilled about 10 km northwest of the Snorre   136mn barrels of oil equivalent.  Golden Energy Offshore Services (GEOS)
       field.                                 “We are proud to be continuing the   has secured another contract extension
         Production licence 882 was awarded on   PL 001 legacy, and by utilising existing   for its Energy Swan platform supplier
       10 February 2017 in (APA 2016).     infrastructure we contribute to good   with Wintershall Norge, a Norwegian unit
         These are the first and second    resource management”, Kragseth said.  of Wintershall Dea.
       exploration wells to be drilled in the licence.  It is worth noting that the Balder   GEOS said on June 10 that the contract
                                           Future project represents an investment of   is in direct continuation of the charter
                                           NOK19.6bn ($2bn).                    contract from 2013.
       Var Energi to upgrade FPSO                                               chartered for a firm period of four years
                                                                                  The large PSV Energy Swan was in 2013
       for Balder X plan                   Gazprom-Wintershall JV               plus optional extensions (total of four years
                                                                                options).
       Var Energi, a subsidiary of Italy’s Eni,   starts up second well at        Wintershall Norge and GEOS agreed
       is taking the Jotun FPSO ashore for                                      several extensions after the expiration of
       upgrading to start the first stage of the life-  Dutch field             the firm period, last of which was for a
       extension process for the Balder Area in                                 firm period until July 31 2020.
       the North Sea.                      Wintershall Noordzee, a joint venture   The two companies have now agreed
         Var Energi said on June 15 that the   of Wintershall Dea and Gazprom, has   that the Energy Swan would remain firm
       FPSO was on its way to Rosenberg Worley’s   started gas production from its second   on charter in direct continuation of the
       facility in Stavanger for upgrading.  B2 production well at the Sillimanite field   present firm period for an additional four
         The Jotun FPSO has been producing oil   offshore the Netherlands.      months until November 30 2020.
       from the Jotun field in the North Sea since   Wintershall Noordzee started drilling   According to the company, the charter
       1999 and this event kicks off Balder’s life-  the second Sillimanite production well   rate reflects the market conditions.
       extension process.                  at the beginning of February. Shortly   The two companies also agreed that
         Var Energi CEO Kristin Kragseth,   afterwards, the world was confronted with   the charterers continue having options
       said: “I am happy and very proud to have   the challenges caused by Covid-19.  available to charter the vessel as per the
       Jotun back in Stavanger. Happy because   Robert Frimpong, managing director   original charter until the expiration of this
       this marks the start of Var Energi’s most   of Wintershall Noordzee, said: “Nobody   extension.
       important project going forward. Proud   could have foreseen the impact the
       because we secure jobs for the local supplier   outbreak of Covid-19 would have on our








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