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North Sea frequency—defned as the number of production peaked in 2004. a vertical depth of 4,431m below mean accidents per million working hours

Amounting to about $110/bbl in sea level. Wintershall took cores and —has dropped by 70% since 2004, 2012, the average oil price remained logged the well. Oil and gas were pro- and is far lower than the average at the 2011 level. However, in terms duced during testing. In order to assess accident frequency for all onshore of Danish kroner, the oil price rose the extent of the oil discovery, two industries.

by slightly more than 11% due to the sidetracks were drilled, Hibonite-1A higher US dollar exchange rate. Based and Hibonite-1B. Both sidetracks on an oil price of $125/bbl, total state confrmed the presence of oil-bearing

State participation revenue from North Sea production is sandstone of Late Jurassic age. On 9 July 2012, the state-owned estimated at DKK 24-30 billion/yr for In April 2012, Denmark’s minister company ‘Nordsøfonden’ (the Danish the next fve years. for climate, energy and building agreed North Sea Fund) joined Dansk on a new action plan for 2012-2014 Undergrunds Consortium (DUC) as with Danish operators, aimed at reduc- a partner with a 20% interest. The

New licensing round

The DEA is preparing a new licens- ing energy consumption offshore. The Danish North Sea Fund has, there- ing round, covering the area in the new action plan is based on valuable fore, taken over a substantial share of

Danish sector of the North Sea west of experience gained from the previous production activity in the North Sea the 6° 15’ east longitude. The aim is action plan for 2006-2011, which suc- and has become a co-owner of the rel- to offcially open the seventh round at cessfully reduced energy consumption evant platforms, processing facilities the end of this year. The most recent by 18%. A preliminary estimate shows and pipelines. State participation was licensing round (sixth) was held in that energy consumption was reduced one of the main requirements set out 2006. The rest of the Danish licensing by about 20% in 2012, thus achieving in the North Sea Agreement of 2003, area is offered for licensing according the target for the year. The targeted regarding the extension of DUC’s sole to the Open Door procedure intro- efforts to reduce energy consumption concession until 2042. Maersk Oil and duced in 1997. on the North Sea installations brought Gas is the operator of the concession,

The success rate for wells drilled the total CO2 emissions down to about the other partners being Shell and under the sixth round license remains 1.7 million tons in 2012, the lowest Chevron, and now the Danish North high, at 80%. level in the past 10 years. Sea Fund.

Wintershall Noordzee, operator for

In 2012, the DEA carried out a total license 5/06, drilled the Hibonite-1 of 40 inspections of installations in (5504/1-3) exploration well in the the North Sea and onshore, safe-

FURTHER READING western part of the Danish North Sea guarding health and safety standards in 2012. Bayerngas and EWE, and as for the almost 3,000 people who the Danish North Sea Fund, were also *The report ‘Oil and Gas Production work on North Sea installations. In partners in the well, which discov- in Denmark for 2012’ is only pub- 2012, the DEA registered 12 reports ered oil in Upper Jurassic sandstone. lished electronically. It is available on concerning work-related accidents

Hibonite-1 was drilled as a deviated the Danish Energy Agency website at on offshore installations and mobile well and terminated in Jurassic clay at www.ens.dk.

accommodation units. The accident oedigital.com 125

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