Statoil finds oil column on far edge of Sverdrup field in N. Sea

OSLO: Norway's Statoil has encountered a 4.5-metre oil column at the Geitungen prospect at the edge of its giant Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea and will drill a sidetrack well, Det norske, a partner in the find said on Thursday.

Statoil has been exploring in the area, hoping to find additional reserves for Sverdrup, which could contain as much as 2.9 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

Statoil operates the licence and holds 40 percent while other shareholders include state-holding firm Petoro (30 percent), Det norske (20 percent) and Lundin Petroleum (10 percent).

Another partner in the field, but in a different production license, is Denmark's Maersk Oil, a unit of shipping giant Maersk.