Norway: NPD Grants Barents Drilling Permit to Dong Energy

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Dong E&P Norge AS a drilling permit for well 7121/9-1, cf. Section 8 of the Resource Management Regulations.

Well 7121/9-1 will be drilled from the Aker Barents drilling facility in position 71°15’13.97” north and 21°42’41.86” east.

The drilling programme for well 7121/9-1 relates to drilling of a wildcat well in production licence 518. Dong E&P Norge AS is the operator with an ownership interest of 40 per cent. The other licensees are North Energy ASA (30 per cent), Front Exploration AS (20 per cent) and Sagex Petroleum Norge AS (10 per cent).

The area in this licence consists of parts of blocks 7121/8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. The well will be drilled about 100 kilometres northwest of Hammerfest and about 20 kilometres west of the Goliat field.

Production licence 518 was awarded in APA 2008 (23 October 2009). This is the first well to be drilled in the licence.

The permit is contingent upon the operator securing all other permits and consents required by other authorities before commencing the drilling activity.

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Source: NPD, October 21, 2011;