Starting oil production from the Siri East structure in the Danish North Sea is under consideration by operator Statoil.
Six-seven million barrels of crude were proven during 1996 in this formation, which lies 130 nautical miles west of the Jutland port of Esbjerg.
No final development decision has been taken, but the work of identifying possible contractors is under way.
While this field is not very big by Norwegian standards, Mærsk has succeeded in operating a series of small Danish developments by opting for low-cost and efficient solutions.
The partners in Siri East are likely to opt for a typically Danish solution, says technical adviser Albert Johnsen.
"It's important for us to demonstrate that we can also make profitable use of small discoveries," he says.
Plans call for the field to be developed with a small unstaffed wellhead platform remotely operated from Statoil's Siri platform nine kilometres away.
Three flowlines – for oil, gas and injection water respectively – will link these two installations.
The partners expect the project to cost NOK 400-500 million, and hope to bring Siri East on stream in autumn 2001.
This development would not be enough to extend the producing life of the Siri platform, but the licence has several other strings to its bow.
"We're planning to drill on the Siri East Downdip and Sara structures," reports Mr Johnsen. "Hydrocarbons there could increase output and extend Siri's producing life."