COSL rig good to go on Barents Sea oil & gas drilling quest

November 28, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

Norwegian authorities have signed off on exploration drilling activities Norway’s oil and gas player Vår Energi is planning to undertake in the Barents Sea, with a semi-submersible rig owned by COSL Drilling Europe, an offshore drilling player.

The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) has granted Vår Energi consent for exploration drilling in block 7121/9 in the Barents Sea. The firm will now be able to spud the well 7121/9-2, also known as the Blåmann prospect, in production license 1168.

The drilling of the well will be undertaken with the COSL Prospector drilling rig, which secured a two-year contract in September 2023, with three years of extension options for a maximum duration of five years.

The rig deal builds on the cooperation between Vår Energi and Equinor, enabling the duo to secure access to the rig for the 2024-2026 period. The Blåmann prospect is situated in a water depth of 2,211 meters.

With a maximum drilling depth of 7,500 meters, the COSL Prospector rig is of GG5000 design and can operate in water depths up to 1,500 meters.