North Sea drilling ops with COSL rig get blessed by the powers that be

November 28, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor has checked off the list the Norwegian authorities’ green light for drilling activities in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, which will be conducted with a semi-submersible rig owned by COSL Drilling Europe, an offshore drilling player.

The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) has granted Equinor consent for exploration drilling in block 35/1 in the North Sea. As a result, the company will be able to spud the well 35/11-32 S, also known as the Byrding C-Barde prospect, in production license 090.

This license is valid from March 9, 1984, up to December 31, 2040. Equinor is the operator of these licenses with a 45% stake, while its partners, Vår Energi and Inpex Idemitsu Norge, hold the remaining 40% and 15% interests.

The drilling of the well will be undertaken with the COSL Innovator drilling rig, which the Norwegian state-owned giant booked in August 2023 for a two-year contract, starting in the second quarter of 2025. This deal comes with extension options for three additional years.

The 2012-built COSL Innovator semi-submersible rig is designed to operate in water depths up to 750 meters. The Byrding C-Barde prospect is situated in a water depth of 373 meters.