Equinor’s drilling ops with Transocean rig in the clear

January 23, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor has secured the green light from the Norwegian authorities for drilling activities in the Norwegian Sea, which will be undertaken with a semi-submersible rig owned by Transocean, an offshore drilling player.

Transocean Encourage rig; Source: Transocean

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor a drilling permit for the wellbore 6507/8-D-4 CH in production license 124, which is valid from February 28, 1986, up to December 31, 2045.

Equinor is the operator of the license with a 39.8% stake, while its partners, ConocoPhillips Skandinavia, Petoro, and Vår Energi, hold the remaining 27.91%, 22.29%, and 10% interests, respectively.

The drilling of the well will be carried out with the Transocean Encourage semi-submersible rig, which was hired on a nine-well contract, with six more optional wells, in 2023 for work on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

The 2016-built Transocean Encourage rig, which can accommodate up to 130 people, is a sixth-generation fully winterized, harsh environment semi-submersible rig with automated drilling control specially designed for operations on the NCS.

Equinor is actively searching for more hydrocarbons off the coast of Norway, as illustrated by its recent gas and condensate discovery in the North Sea.