TN PETRÓLEO

StatoilHydro has received consent to conduct exploration drilling of well 34/7-33 using the semisub Ocean Vanguard.


Well 34/7-33 is located between Vigdis and Tordis in the northern part of the North Sea. The well belongs to Production License 089 and has the following geographical coordinates:

Water depth at the site is 233 meters.


Ocean Vanguard (formerly West Vanguard) is a semisub of the Bingo 3000 type, commissioned in 1982 at Trosvik Verksted AS. It has subsequently been upgraded a number of times. The semisub is classed in DnV and operated by Diamond Offshore Netherlands BV. Ocean Vanguard was granted an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) in July 2004.


Drilling operations are planned to start as soon as Ocean Vanguard has completed drilling exploration well 6608/11-6 (link). Estimated start-up of drilling operations for well 34/7-33 is mid-August 2008.