Norwegian safety regulators have given the green light for StatoilHydro to drill three wells across the breadth of the Norwegian continental shelf, as the winter drilling window opens.

Diamond Offshore Netherlands’ upgraded Ocean Vanguard semi-submersible drill rig will drill wildcat well 35/6-1 about 20 kilometres north of the producing Gjøa field in the North Sea. The bit is set to spin from atop 343 metres of water in November 2008.

StatoilHydro has also hired the crews of Odfjell Drilling aboard the Deepsea Delta to drill and complete production well 30/8-A-21 H AH on the Tune field. The well was started in late 2007 near the Oseberg oil and gas field.

Elsewhere in the North Sea, the Borgland Dolphin will drill a well in the Vigdis field by mid-December.

Tags: Diamond Offshore Drilling, Odfjell Drilling Management, StatoilHydro