Oil and gas operator Spirit Energy has received consent from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to carry out exploration drilling of two wells in the Barents Sea with the Island Innovator drilling rig.
The wells, named 7322/7-1 and 7322/7-2, are located in production license 852 in the northern sector of the Barents Sea, 138 kilometers south-west of Bjørnøya and 310 kilometers north of Hammerfest. Water depth at the site is around 454 meters.
The two wells will be drilled by the Island Innovator semi-submersible drilling rig.
Informing about the consent on Thursday, the safety agency noted that it comes with conditions. Namely, the well 7322/7-2 cannot start until the results of well 7322/7-1 are known and an updated drilling program has been sent to the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway.
The Norwegian-flagged Island Innovator is a Global Maritime GM4000 type, delivered by the COSCO Shipyard in China in 2012. It is owned by Island Drilling Company, operated by Odfjell Drilling, and classified by DNV GL.
Island Innovator was issued with an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) by the PSA in August 2013.