Statoil was the highest bidder on 15 leases in the central region U.S. Gulf of Mexico lease sale today. With the addition, Statoil will control more than 340 leases in the Gulf of Mexico, further securing its significant lease holder position.

"We are pleased with today's outcome," says Erik Finnstrom , Statoil senior vice president of Exploration for Statoil in North America. "This addition of leases allows us to further build upon our broad-based strategy for exploration in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and further upgrades our core position in this prolific and proven basin."

As the world's largest offshore operator and a leader in subsea technology, Statoil has been a partner in several major discoveries in Gulf of Mexico (GoM), including Julia, Stampede, Vito and the Statoil-operated Logan discovery.

"The lease additions underscore our commitment to increased investment in North America, which we see as a core region for long-term growth. Our strategy involves acquiring prospects across a range of plays and technical maturity," Finnstrom says. " Walker Ridge 271 was our number one priority lease and we are very pleased to have placed the highest bid on this impact prospect that we call Monument."

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