Statoil awards Oseberg drilling upgrade contract to Aker Solutions

Norway's StatoilHydro has awarded engineering group Aker Solutions a contract worth NOK 1.3 bn ($ 200 mm) to upgrade the drilling facilities on its Oseberg B platform in the North Sea, the companies said. The contract covers upgrades of all drilling systems for wells of up to 9,000 meters, delivering increased drilling regularity and safety, and is expected to extend the productive lifetime of Oseberg B.
"This is a very important initiative which allows the successful improved oil recovery efforts to continue on the Oseberg field," StatoilHydro's head of production at Oseberg, Morten Mikkelsen, said.

The work includes prefabrication and offshore installation of equipment and prefabricated items, and offshore completion and commissioning.
Work under the contract will start immediately and be completed in April 2013, when the new drilling plant on Oseberg B comes online.