Aker BP gains nod to drill North Sea well with ‘Island Innovator’

E&P company Aker BP has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to drill an exploration well in the Frigg Gamma Delta prospect, offshore Norway, with the Island Innovator drilling rig. 

Aker BP is the operator of production license 442 in the North Sea. Aker BP has made a discovery in a prospect named Frigg Gamma Delta, around 20 kilometers east of the Frigg field.

The company has applied for consent to drill a well down to 1,180 meters at the site where future drilling will take place. Its purpose is to disprove the possible existence of shallow gas or water zones where the wells are to be drilled.

The exploration well has the designation 25/2-U-19. Water depth at the site is 120 meters. The drilling is expected to start in April and last five days.

The well will be drilled using the Island Innovator semi-submersible drilling rig, which is operated by Odfjell Drilling.

Island Innovator is of the GM4000-WI type, built in 2012 at Cosco Zhoushan Shipyard in China. It is registered in Norway and classified by DNV GL.

Island Innovator was issued with an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) by the PSA in August 2013.