PGNiG Sinks North Sea Wildcat
PGNiG has spudded its first exploration well as an operator on the Norwegian continental shelf, the Polish gas company reported on August 30.
The well is the first at production licence 838, which PGNiG operates with a 40% stake. It is targeting the Shrek prospect located 2,300 metres under the seabed in waters 358 metres deep. The drilling site is near the Skarv oil and gas field, where PGNiG has a 12% interest.
“The main objective of our operations in Norway is to scale up our own production of gas in the region,” PGNiG president Piotr Wozniak said in a statement. “Now we also have the opportunity to develop our competencies and expertise as an operator, which proves the trust Norwegian partners place in PGNiG.”
PGNiG secured licence 838 in 2016 together with its Norwegian partners Aker BP and Lime Petroleum, which each have 30%. It now has interests in 26 licences on the Norwegian shelf, and struck a deal to buy into two more in June. It is targeting an output of 2.5bn m3/yr of gas in the country after 2022, and plans to use some of these resources to fill its planned 10bn m3/yr pipe to Poland.
PGNiG is drilling the Shrek well using the Deepsea Nordkapp semi-submersible, on hire from Norway’s Odfjell Drilling. The work will take 45 days to complete in the event of a discovery.