Several operators are aiming to start new wildcats in the Norwegian part of Barents Sea this year and in 2002 following the successful wells drilled by Agip in 2000. However, scarcity of drilling rigs could become a wrench in the works for the drilling campaign.

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has approved the Transocean Arctic and Polar Pioneer for work in this region, and Smedvig's West Alpha semisubmersible may join the club this autumn.
Agip is aiming to use the West Alpha to appraise its Goliath oil discovery, 7122/7-1, with a spud date scheduled for the end of August. However, a firm agreement for using the rig had not been secured as Hart's E&P went to press.
TotalFinaElf and Statoil have indicated they are looking to start new wildcats in the Barents Sea on Veslemøyhøgda in PL 224 and in Area G, respectively. Norsk Hydro also has hinted it is interested in a new drilling campaign, but drilling rigs had not been secured for the work as Hart's E&P went to press.
Statoil, however, is working hard to get the first field - Snøhvit - in the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea up and running. A development plan was to be submitted to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in July.
An impact analysis was presented in April for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) development, which is estimated to need investments of about US $3.3 billion.
The project is planned to start in 2002, and first production is envisaged for 2006 with a field life of 30 years.
Seabed installations with multiphase transport of gas and condensate to the onshore terminal on Melkøya 99 miles (160 km) away are the preferred development concept. The three fields, Snøhvit, Askeladd and Albatross, will be developed in three phases, starting with eight gas producers and one CO2 injection well on Snøhvit in 2006.
Twenty-one gas production wells and one CO2 injection well are planned, and daily production from the three fields will be 735 MMcf of gas. Three well templates and one end-manifold will be fitted with facilities to take in four wells each on the Snøhvit field.
Askeladd then will be phased in from another three templates and one end-manifold, with Albatross following from one template and one end-manifold.
One template also will be installed in connection with the CO2 injection well, and wells will be remotely operated from the onshore terminal.
The CO2 will be separated from the wellstream at the land facility, transported back to the field in a separate pipeline and stored in the Tubåen formation at Snøhvit.
Two alternative pipeline routes have been evaluated for the main 99-mile (160-km), 27-in. pipeline. Another 99-mile (160-km), 8-in. pipeline will be required for the CO2 transport back to the Snøhvit field, in addition to one 99-mile (160 km), 4-in. pipeline for transport of monoethyleneglycol.
Infield plans involve three lines - two 2-mile (3-km) lines and one 6-mile (9-km) line - between the templates and end-manifolds on the main pipeline.
Pipelay and installation of the control cable will involve pulling it through a preinstalled casing from Melkøya toward the Snøhvit field. The main pipeline will not be buried, but some gravel dumping will be required for support at various points. However, the smaller pipelines and control cable will be trenched for protection against trawling equipment used by the fishing industry.
Installation and seabed intervention is planned to take place from April to September 2005.
Statoil also has evaluated the oil in Snøhvit, which is in a 48-ft (15-m) layer underneath the gas, but concluded this would not be profitable.
Seventeen exploration wells have been drilled in the Snøhvit area, of which 13 have shown hydrocarbons in the lower and mid-Jurassic.
The project is based on the resources in Snøhvit's PL 097, 099 and 110, Askeladd's PL 064 and 077, and Albatross' PL 078 and 100.
The partners are Statoil (22.29%), the State's Direct Financial Interest (30%), TFE (18.4%), Gaz de France (12%), Hydro (10%), Amerada Hess (3.26%), RWE-DEA (2.81%) and Svenska Petroleum (1.24%). TFE and Hydro are trying to sell their shares.

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