Statoil has received consent to carry out exploration drilling using the Transocean Leader semi-submersible drilling rig to drill well 25/8-18 S in the central North Sea, offshore Norway.
The approval, granted by the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway, is for the use of the rig on the well located 12 km north-west of the Grane field and around 164 km from the nearest land at Utsira in Rogaland.
Water depth at the site is 159 metres. Drilling is estimated to last for 33 days.
The Transocean Leader rig is operated by Transocean. The rig was issued with an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) by the PSA in December 2004. An Acknowledgement of Compliance is a statement from the PSA indicating that an offshore drilling rig is considered to be in compliance with relevant requirements in the petroleum activities regulations.