Exploration

New discoveries of hydrocarbon reserves are of great national and international economic importance to fulfil rising global energy demand and to maintain production levels. This is particularly the case on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), where the average time from award of exploration licence to field development traditionally is 10-15 years - It is clear that a significant exploration effort on the NCS is needed to maintain national production levels before existing producing fields are decommissioned. The ultimate goal of the VISTA-exploration programme is to provide new knowledge and technology that will reduce the economical risk related to exploration of petroleum, both on the NCS and globally.

Five projects were supported during 2011, of which two successfully completed and one started. The scholars published four papers during 2011.

One VISTA professorship has been supported in 2011 -- Professor Bjørn Ursin, and specific results in his work are described in the annual reports. In 2011, Ursin has published seven papers and extended abstracts. Four papers have been accepted for publication in 2012, and four papers have been submitted.

For an overview of completed projects, please contact VISTA.