The drilling rig and associated utilities on Statoil's Troll A gas platform are due to be disassembled and removed from the North Sea field.
Preparations started this week, according to platform manager Knut Solemslie. He expects disassembly of the derrick to commence at the beginning of next week and hopes that the rig will be removed by early July.
Costs associated with removal and transportation to land are estimated at NOK 70 million.
The rig has been inactive since Troll A completed drilling its 40 wells two years ago. And well maintenance costs are so high that it pays to charter a mobile rig for such purposes.
Statoil as operator, along with its partners, wishes therefore to sell the rig, either intact or in parts.
In the meantime, the rig will be stored at the Coast Center Base near Bergen.