Poland’s PGNiG Leases Norwegian Sea Drilling Platform
Poland’s state-controlled gas company PGNiG announced on March 26 that it has agreed to lease a new drilling rig to expand its operations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
PGNiG signed the lease with Aker BP for a semi-submersible drilling rig. The Odfjell Deepsea Nordkapp will be used for drilling production wells in the Skogul and Aerfugl fields, and then for drilling the exploration well 6506/5-9 on the PL838 licence in the Norwegian Sea.
PGNiG is at the forefront of Polish efforts to develop alternative supplies in order to reduce or even entirely abandon Russian imports once the company’s long-term contract with Gazprom ends in 2022. Poland is building up imports of US LNG and building the 10bn m3/yr Baltic Pipe to connect to PGNig’s Norwegian fields.
PGNiG holds interests in 24 exploration and production licenses on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The Polish company plans to increase gas production from fields in Norway to 2.5bn m3/yr.
Commissioned in January, the rig will reach the Norwegian port of Bergen in April, where it will undergo the last tests before being allowed to work offshore. Drilling on the Skogul and Aerfugl fields will begin in May. Aker BP is the operator of both licences; PGNiG owns 35% of the shares in Skogul and 11.92% in Aerfugl.
With a 40% interest, PGNiG is the operator at PL838. Aker BP and DEA Norge hold 30% each. The Polish company says it plans to start drilling between September 1 and November 30.
“Our knowledge and previous experience have allowed us to prepare well for the first drilling as an operator on the Norwegian shelf. PGNiG's diversification strategy assumes a significant increase in its own gas production in this region,” said PGNiG president Piotr Wozniak. “In the case of the Skogul and Aerfugl deposits, we are – together with our partners on these licences – getting closer to starting of production, which was planned for 2020,” he added.