Norwegian energy major Statoil said it would drill 30 percent more exploration wells than it did in 2016 and most of those will be in domestic basins. The oil and gas company, in which the Norwegian government has a stake, said it plans to drill approximately 30 exploration wells this year, compared with 23 last year. More than half of the new wells planned for this year will target basins on the Norwegian continental shelf. Tim Dodson, executive vice president for exploration, said in a statement that company improvements in efficiency and changing market conditions were supportive of an increase in exploration-related developments. “The upcoming well program is balanced between proven, well known basins and new frontier opportunities,” he added. The government last month confirmed a discovery in a wildcat well 4 miles away from the closed Frigg field in the North Sea. […]