Eni Arctic Service Rig Extension Okayed

Italian oil company Eni has received permission from Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority to extend the use of a service rig on its troubled Arctic Goliat oil field offshore Norway until Nov. 30, the regulator said on Thursday.

The Floatel Superior rig is used to house hundreds of crew members working to finish the installation of Eni's Goliat platform.

The permission to extend the use of Superior from Sept. 30 to Nov. 30 was given "on the basis of an updated schedule for the project", the safety authority said.

Eni said last week it expected oil production on Goliat to start later this year.

Eni holds a 65 percent stake in Goliat while Statoil owns the rest.

 

Reporting by Terje Solsvik