The licence covers an area of approximately 8,300 square kilometres, adjacent to Statoil’s existing exploration acreage in the Aru and West Papua IV licences. Statoil will operate the licence with a 100% working interest.
“This is a low-cost access into a frontier area with considerable potential where Statoil is already present. This position strengthens the optionality in Statoil’s long-term portfolio and secures potential upsides from our existing exploration acreage,” says Erling Vågnes, Statoil’s senior vice president for exploration in the Eastern hemisphere.
Statoil will initially collect seismic data during the first three years of the exploration period. The information obtained from the seismic survey will form the decision basis for Statoil’s next steps in the licence.
About Statoil
Statoil ASA (OSE: STL, NYSE: STO) is an international energy company with operations in 36 countries. Building on 40 years of experience from oil and gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf, we are committed to accommodating the world's energy needs in a responsible manner, applying technology and creating innovative business solutions. We are headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, with approximately 23,000 employees worldwide, and are listed on the Oslo and New York stock exchanges.