OSLO (Thomson Financial) - DNO ASA spin-off, Det Norske Oljeselskap, said it has begun drilling activities as operator on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, spudding an exploration well on the Lie prospect.
Det Norske Oljeselskap, which holds a 30 pct interest in the license, said the latest exploration well is just the first well to be drilled by the Bredford Dolphin rig under a three-year drilling contract.
The start-up of NCS drilling operations is significant for Det Norske Oljeselskap because earlier this year the firm had an application for consent for exploration drilling on the NCS rejected by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate on the grounds that DNO did not have the 'necessary competence and capacity required to run a prudent drilling operation.'
Since then, however, the firm won four new licenses, including three as operator. alastair.reed@thomson.com ar/slm COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News.