Green light for Equinor’s North Sea wildcat

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor a drilling permit for a well in the North Sea offshore Norway. 

The well 35/11-23 will be drilled from the Deepsea Atlantic semi-submersible drilling rig. The well has been given the prospect name Echino Sør.

The drilling program for well 35/11-23 relates to the drilling of a wildcat well in production license 090.

Equinor received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) for exploration drilling in block 35/11 in the North Sea, using the Deepsea Atlantic rig, in September 2019. However, at first, the oil company did not receive consent for a sidetrack in exploration well 35/11-23.

The consent for the sidetrack was received later, in October 2019.

Equinor is the operator of production license 090 with an ownership interest of 45 percent. Other licensees are ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway (25 percent), Idemitsu Petroleum Norge (15 percent), and Neptune Energy Norge (15 percent).

The area in this license consists of a part of block 35/11. The well will be drilled about seven kilometres west of the Fram field.

Production license 090 was awarded on March 9, 1984 (8th licensing round on the Norwegian shelf). This is the 17th well to be drilled in the license.

Spotted a typo? Have something more to add to the story? Maybe a nice photo? Contact our editorial team via email.

Also, if you’re interested in showcasing your company, product or technology on Offshore Energy Today, please contact us via our advertising form where you can also see our media kit.