Our Arctic Neighbors: Statoil drilling new well in Norwegian Sea

Statoil has received consent for exploration drilling in the Norwegian Sea with the mobile facility Ocean Vanguard, the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway said in a release Dec. 30. The Norwegian company plans to drill an exploration well 102 miles west of the island of Vega at 66 degrees north latitude. The water depth at the site is 1,155 feet. Startup is scheduled for the end of January, and the operation has an estimated duration of 47 days.

Ocean Vanguard (formerly West Vanguard) is a semisubmersible, third-generation drilling facility of the Bingo 3000 type, built in 1982. It is operated by Houston, Texas-based Diamond Offshore, which has an operations office in Stavanger, and receives technical and operational support from the company’s office in Aberdeen.

—Sarah Hurst