Norway: Smaller oil fields become important

Small oil fields are becoming increasingly important for Norway’s Statoil. This summer, well number seven will be drilled on the Norwegian continental shelf’s (NCS) smallest field, Glitne, extending its life until 2009.

High oil prices, more reservoir expertise and increased demand and competition are driving forces behind ever extended production.

“New finds will gradually become fewer and more complicated to develop,” Mr Sorensen says.
“Technological developments and continuous improvements allow us to recover ever more oil from marginal finds. We’ll continue our small field focus,” he says.

“Statoil is the largest operator of small fields on the NCS,” says Astrid Sorensen, Statoil’s senior vice president for the Troll/Sleipner business cluster.

“Small fields are responsible for 17% of Statoil’s oil and gas production. Most of them are tied back to other platforms. By 2015, production from them will probably make up as much as 20-30%,” she says.

Norway Post