Statoil has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to use the Bideford Dolphin drilling rig for production drilling at Vigdis field offshore Norway.
Vigdis is an oil field in block 34/7 at the Tampen area of the Norwegian North Sea. The field, which is in 280 meters of water, has been developed using subsea facilities. The wellstream is piped seven kilometers away to Snorre A platform for processing.
According to the safety authority’s statement on Monday, Statoil is to plug the B-1 AH production well on the Vigdis field. Using a sidetrack from this well, a new well named B-1 BH is to be drilled.
The activities are to be undertaken using the Bideford Dolphin, which is operated by Dolphin Drilling. Bideford Dolphin is a semi-submersible drilling rig of the Aker H-3 type, built at Aker Verdal in 1975 and modified in 1998. The semi-sub is classified by DNV GL and registered in Singapore.
Bideford Dolphin was issued with an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) by the PSA in September 2004.
Production at Vigdis began in 1997, with Saga Petroleum as the operator. Statoil took over operatorship in January 2003.
Last week, Statoil exercised an option for the additional well with the semi-submersible drilling unit Bideford Dolphin. The contract value for the extension is approximately $17.2 million.