Norwegian giant in the clear for drilling ops with COSL rig

October 29, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor has secured a drilling permit for operations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), which will be done with a semi-submersible rig owned by COSL Drilling Europe, an offshore drilling contractor.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) has granted Equinor a drilling permit for the wellbore 7018/5-2 in production license 1236, which is valid from March 15, 2024, until the same date in 2031.

This comes after the Norwegian player obtained the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority’s consent for exploration drilling in block 7018/5 in the Barents Sea to spud the Vikingskipet prospect, in a water depth of 308 meters, which will be undertaken with the COSL Prospector rig.

The rig, which won a two-year contract in September 2023, with three years of extension options for a maximum duration of five years, builds on the cooperation between Vår Energi and Equinor, enabling the duo to secure access to the rig for the 2024-2026 period.

With a maximum drilling depth of 7,500 meters, the COSL Prospector rig is of GG5000 design and can operate in water depths up to 1,500 meters.