Norwegian E&P player Aker BP has received consent from the offshore safety body, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), for exploration and production drilling in the North Sea using the Scarabeo 8 rig.
The well will be drilled on the Aker BP-operated Bøyla field which is located in production licenses 340 and 869.
Aker BP is partnered by Lundin Norway and Point Resources in both licenses. In license 340, Aker BP holds 65 percent while the two partners hold 15 and 20 respectively. As for license 869, Lundin holds 60 percent while the partners hold 20 percent each.
The Bøyla field is in the North Sea, around 200 kilometers from land in a water depth of 119 meters.
The field is developed with two horizontal production wells and one water injection well which are tied back to the Alvheim FPSO. Production began in January 2015.
The PSA said on Thursday that the drilling operations were scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2019 and would last for 94 days.
The safety watchdog added that Aker BP must apply for separate consent to begin test production from the well.
Drilling will be carried out using the Scarabeo 8 drilling rig. This is a semi-submersible drilling rig of the Moss CS50 MKII type, operated by Saipem Norge.
It was built in Russia and Italy and put into service in 2012. The facility is classified by DNV GL, registered in the Bahamas, and was issued an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) by the PSA in May 2012.
It is worth reminding that the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate granted Total a drilling permit on Wednesday for an appraisal well located in the Norwegian Sea which would be drilled by the Scarabeo 8.