DEA Norge has received consent from the Norwegian offshore safety body, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), to drill a shallow gas well on the Dvalin field in the Norwegian Sea using the Songa Encourage drilling rig.
The goal of the shallow gas pilot well, designated 6507/7-U-10, is to exclude the possibility of shallow gas underground, before drilling production well, the PSA explained on Monday.
The agency also said that the Songa Encourage rig will begin operations in July and is expected to last 2-3 days.
Dvalin is a gas field in the Norwegian Sea, consisting of two separate structures: Dvalin East and Dvalin West. Dvalin East was proven in 2010, around 15 kilometers northwest of Heidrun, in 344 meters of water. Dvalin West was proven in 2012, around 3.5 kilometers west of Dvalin East, in 400 meters of water.
DEA Norge is the operator of the field. The plan for development and operation (PDO) for Dvalin was approved by the authorities in March 2017 .
Production from the field is scheduled to begin in late 2020. Dvalin will be developed using a subsea facility and piped to the Heidrun field.
Songa Encourage is a semi-submersible drilling rig of a Cat D-type, operated by Songa Offshore. It was built at the Daewoo yard in South Korea in 2016. It is classified by DNV GL, registered in Norway, and received an acknowledgment of compliance from the PSA in April 2017.