Rosneft and Statoil have launched exploration drilling activities in the Sea Of Okhotsk in Russia’s Far East.
In 2012, Rosneft and Statoil signed an agreement to jointly explore areas of the Russian shelf.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Under the agreement, the companies set-up joint ventures and completed a series of exploration operations including 2D and 3D seismic and geotechnical surveys.
As well as drilling two wells on the shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk, Rosneft will acquire more than 26,000km of 2D seismic; over 2,000km² of 3D seismic and 67,000km² airborne geophysical surveys.
Rosneft management board chairman Igor Sechin said: "Implementation of the offshore projects in upstream is one of the company’s most important strategic goals, a contribution to the whole oil and gas industry.
"Rosneft is the country’s only company that continues the work on new projects offshore in accordance with its licence obligations despite the complicated external environment."
Initially, the companies plan to drill the Ulberikanskaya-1 well in Lisiansky licence area one year ahead of the licence obligations.
Rosneft and Statoil project’s second well will be also drilled during 2016 within Magadan-1 section in the Sea of Okhotsk.
China Oilfield Services delivered semi-submersible rig Nanhai-9 to the joint venture of Rosneft and Statoil as part of a contract signed in September last year.
Nanhai-9 was shipped through the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk to reach the drilling point and travelled more than 4,600nm.
The rig was modified for the drilling project and has the capability to operate even at low ambient temperatures.
Both drilling sites have sea depths less than 150m.
Image: Initially, Rosneft and Statoil plan to drill the Ulberikanskaya-1 well in Lisiansky license area. Photo: © Rosneft.
