Statoil ASA (STO)

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Statoil ASA ADS (STO) (28.19 +0.47)
Feb 24 (Reuters) - Norwegian oil firm Statoil said its recent gas discovery off the coast of Tanzania has so far proven to hold up to 5 trillion cubic feet of gas, the firm said on Friday. "The well has encountered 120 metres of excellent quality reservoir with high porosity and high permeability. The gas-water contact has not been established and drilling operations are on-going," Statoil said in a statement. The company first announced the discovery on Feb. 17 but said it was too early to discuss the size of the find. (Reporting by Balazs Koranyi) (([e-mail])([phone])) Keywords: STATOIL (Thomson Reuters 02:05 AM ET 02/24/2012)

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Norwegian oil and gas firm Statoil agreed to charter two new semisubmersible rigs from Songa Offshore for $2.66 billion to operate in mature fields offshore Norway, the two firms said on Friday. The contract period is for eight years with options for extensions for up to 12 years. The first unit is due for delivery in early 2014 and the second in mid-2015, Songa said. South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. will build the rigs for $570 million per unit while the drilling package will be delivered by Aker Solutions . One of the rigs, purpose-built for mature fields, will be used on the Norne, Heidrun and Aasgaard licences, while the second rig will be used for year-round operations in the Barents Sea in Norway's Arctic north. (Reporting by Victoria Klesty; editing by Balazs Koranyi) (([phone])) Keywords: (Thomson Reuters 02:27 AM ET 02/24/2012)