Go-ahead for North Sea drilling ops with Odfjell Drilling-managed rig

March 6, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Norway’s oil and gas player Wellesley Petroleum has received the blessing from the country’s authorities for the drilling of an exploration well in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, which is expected to be carried out using a semi-submersible rig managed by Odfjell Drilling, an offshore drilling contractor.

Deepsea Yantai; Source: Odfjell Drilling

The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) has granted Wellesley Petroleum consent for exploration drilling in block 35/10 in the North Sea.

The well 35/10 16 S is related to the Carmen appraisal in production licence: 1148, which is valid from March 11, 2022, up to the same date in 2029.

Located in a water depth of 365 meters, the prospect will be drilled with the Deepsea Yantai, formerly known as the Beacon Atlantic, rig.

This unit is working on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), under contracts with DNO, Wellesley Petroleum, and Well Expertise.

The 2019-built Deepsea Yantai GM4D harsh environment semi-submersible rig is owned by China’s CIMC and managed by Odfjell Drilling.