Aker BP to spud North Sea prospects with Saipem rig

Norwegian oil and gas player Aker BP has received consent from Norway’s offshore safety regulator for exploration drilling in the North Sea off Norway, which will be carried out using one of Saipem’s semi-submersible rigs.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) recently revealed that it had given Aker BP consent for exploration drilling in block 25/2 in the North Sea, covering wells 25/2-U-15, 25/2-U-14, and 30/11-U-4.

The first prospect, Rind, is located in water depths of 116.8 meters in production license 026, which was awarded on 23 May 1969 and is valid until 23 May 2025. Aker BP is the operator of the license with an ownership interest of 87.7%, while its partner, PGNiG Upstream Norway, holds the remaining 12.3% interest, respectively.

The second prospect, Langfjellet, is located in water depths of 121.3 meters in production license 442, which was awarded on 15 June 2007 and is valid until 15 June 2027. Aker BP (87.7%) is the operator of the license and PGNiG Upstream Norway (12.3%) is its partner.

The third prospect, Sentral, is located in water depths of 106.5 meters in production license 272, which was awarded on 15 February 2002 and is valid until 31 December 2023. Aker BP (50%) is the operator of the license and Equinor (50%) is its partner.

The drilling operations will be carried out with the Scarabeo 8 semi-submersible rig, which was hired on a three-year deal, worth $325 million, in March 2022.

Scarabeo 8 is a sixth-generation dual derrick deepwater semi-submersible drilling rig capable of working in harsh environments with a dynamic positioning system and enhanced mooring capabilities. This rig can accommodate 140 people and its maximum drilling depth is 35,000 ft.