North Sea wildcat on COSL rig’s drilling agenda for March

January 29, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

The Norwegian state-owned energy giant Equinor has obtained a drilling permit from the Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) for a wildcat well in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor a drilling permit for the wellbore 25/7-13 in production licence 782 S, which is valid from February 6, 2015, up to the same date in 2045.

Equinor is the operator of the license with a 60% stake, while its partner, Aker BP, holds the remaining 40% interests. The drilling operations are slated to begin in March 2026.

The well will be spud with COSL Drilling Europe’s COSL Innovator drilling rig, which the Norwegian state-owned giant booked in August 2023 for a two-year contract, starting in the second quarter of 2025.

The rig deal comes with extension options for three additional years. The 2012-built COSL Innovator semi-submersible rig is designed to operate in water depths up to 750 meters.

Equinor is set on exploring the Norwegian hydrocarbon potential to boost oil and gas reserves, as demonstrated by another well the firm plans to drill in the Norwegian Sea with Transocean’s rig.