Top hole drilling campaign on the Nova field completed

Wintershall Dea completed the top hole drilling campaign on the operated Nova field in the Norwegian North Sea ahead of schedule.

The campaign, carried out by the Seadrill-operated West Mira rig, involved drilling some 3,400 metres of top holes for the six Nova production and water injection wells on two different templates.

“We continuously try to improve our drilling operations to be safer, more efficient and more sustainable. Working together as ‘One Team’ with all involved, we were able to deliver the top hole campaign safely and two weeks ahead of schedule”, said Nils Petter Norheim, Wintershall Dea Norge Head of Drilling & Wells.

Five of the top holes were drilled in one batch with repetitive operations. After each operation the team evaluated the performance, capturing best practices and lessons learned to optimise the equipment and drill the next section even more efficiently. This approach helped to continuously improve the drilling performance.

High efficiency also translated into a more sustainable operation, with fewer days on the rig resulting in lower emissions. The reduction falls into a broader low-emission strategy, with the West Mira operating an energy-saving hybrid battery power plant, which increases the rig’s energy efficiency. The two supply vessels that support the rig are also equipped with hybrid batteries, which further reduces the environmental footprint of the campaign.

“With all the top holes drilled, we have achieved another Nova milestone ahead of plan. We will continue drilling and the next step is to safely deliver the three production wells and three water injection wells before production start which is planned for 2022.” said André Hesse, Nova Project Director at Wintershall Dea.

Nova drilling will last throughout most of 2021.