May. 2013 - Statoil, operator of the Mariner development in the UK North Sea, awarded Noble Corp. a 4-year contract to provide development drilling services using a newbuild jackup based on Statoil's Cat J specifications. The rig will be an enhanced version of GustoMSC's CJ-70 design and will be capable of drilling in 500 feet of water to a depth of 33,000 feet using either surface or subsea stacks. Development drilling is expected to commence between May and September 2016. Total estimated value of the contract is $655 million including mobilization costs.

Apr. 2013 - Statoil recently awarded a drilling services contract to UK-based Odfjell Drilling worth an estimated $245 million. Under the contract Odfjell will provide drilling services for the Mariner field development. Additionally, the company will perform maintenance services on the drilling facility as well as handling logistics of all tubular goods. Options to the contract include casing/tubing running services and modification to the drilling equipment. Contract duration is 4-years beginning November 2016 with three 2-year options. Odfjell will also provide engineering and commissioning services during construction and startup of the Mariner platform. Statoil expects to start production from the field in 2017. Mariner is the largest new offshore development in the UK in more than a decade and should have a productive life of at least 30 years. Average peak daily production is forecast at roughly 55,000 bopd.

Feb. 2013 - Statoil's Mariner field development plan has been approved by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change. The $7 billion project is the largest new offshore UK development in over a decade. A production, drilling and quarters platform and an 850,000-barrel floating storage unit will be utilized in the development. Mariner is expected to have a 30-year field life and should start production in 2017. An average daily production rate of 55,000 bopd is estimated during the plateau period from 2017 to 2020.

Dec. 2012 - Statoil has made the decision to proceed with the development of its Mariner heavy oil field on the UK continental shelf. Development of Mariner entails an investment of more than $7 billion making it the largest new offshore development in the UK in more than a decade. The field will be developed with a production, drilling and quarters platform based on a steel jacket with fifty active well slots and a floating storage unit with 850,000 barrel capacity. Production start-up is scheduled for 2017 with a field life of thirty years. Daily production should average 55,000 barrels per day.

Sep. 2011 - Statoil announced a development concept for the Mariner heavy oil project on the UK continental shelf, which includes a production, drilling and quarter (PDQ) platform based on a steel jacket, with a floating storage unit. Statoil will make a final decision in late 2012, and first oil is projected for late 2016. The Mariner field lies in P335 and is operated by Statoil with a 65.1% interest.

Jul. 2011 - Statoil awarded Aker Solutions a contract to conduct the topside FEED study on the Mariner field in the UK sector of the North Sea. The study is scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2012, after which Statoil may proceed with the final investment decision. The Mariner heavy oil field is operated by Statoil and is currently being matured for a development decision.