Norsk Hydro Produksjon AS (Hydro) has received consent to use the mobile facility Bideford Dolphin to drill a cuttings injection well on the Fram Øst field.

In a letter dated 9 January 2007, Hydro has informed Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) that the company needs to make a change in the previously planned activities.

Hydro wants to expand the field development by drilling a cuttings injection well on a free-standing well template on Fram Øst. This entails placement of a single well template next to the production well template B-1.

The previous solution involving injection in the annulus of existing production wells will now be replaced by a dedicated cuttings injection well.

Based on the information that emerges from the company's letter of 9 January, as well as information in the original application for consent, PSA has issued Hydro consent to use the Bideford Dolphin to install the third well template and to drill a dedicated cuttings injection well.