The three-year Barents Sea Exploration Collaboration (BaSEC) project, which will be led by Statoil in the initial phase, will focus on the areas included in the 23rd licensing round in the Barents Sea.
Statoil Norway exploration senior vice-president Irene Rummelhoff said: "We are taking operational responsibility seriously and have connected leading companies with operations in the Barents Sea to work together to find good and robust solutions for the tasks we see ahead, especially considering the new areas that have been opened in the Barents Sea south-east."
Initiated by Statoil and Eni Norge, the project work is schedule to start immediately.
In addition to identifying common solutions for operations in the Barents Sea, the collaboration will contribute to high level of safety and emergency response by sharing of data, cost-effective solutions, more collaboration and increased coordination.
"Our goal is to increase coordination and develop cost-effective solutions for exploration in the Barents Sea in both the short and medium term.
"We will collaborate with authorities, industry organisations and other relevant institutions to deliver on this.
"We aim to be effective and address the concrete actions that need to be taken and share relevant solutions and data with both the authorities and the rest of the industry. It is in our common interest to have robust exploration activity in the Barents Sea," Rummelhoff added.
More participants will be added into the project following the awards in the 23rd licensing round.
