Statoil wins Johan Sverdrup lifetime operatorship

The company was challenged by Lundin for the field in Norway

Norway's vast Johan Sverdrup oilfield is to be operated by Statoil for its lifetime, after the company - the interim operator - fended off a challenge from Lundin, which discovered the field. The agreement is due to be followed by the submission in February of a unitisation agreement and a development plan, with the target of first oil at the end of 2019. State-controlled Statoil prevailed over arguments that, because the field is so large, its development should be handled by a joint operatorship, or that Lundin might take over when production starts. Statoil promised to "cooperate closely with partners" in order to secure the best utilisation of Johan Sverdrup's reserves. The goal is to ac