Hess and partners, including the Norwegian Energy Company (Noreco), will develop the South Tor Pod discovery offshore Denmark as a tieback to the South Arne field.

The South Tor Pod well, which discovered oilbearing chalk, is located 5km southeast of the producing South Arne field in Licence 7/89. The licensees will now evaluate the size and productivity of the discovery, which was estimated at 32m bbl prior to drilling.

He said a development of the South Tor Pod area will constitute an integrated part of the ongoing continued development planning of the South Arne main field, as well as the Northern Extension of the field, which was appraised in 2006 by Rigs-3, including a number of sidetracks. The South Arne field came onstream in 1999 and is currently being developed with 19 long horizontal producers and injectors. Produced oil and gas is processed at the platform, with oil being offloaded by ship from the storage tank and gas is exported by pipeline to Denmark.