Safety nod for Equinor to use West Hercules rig in North Sea

Norway’s oil and gas company Equinor has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) for exploration drilling in block 30/6 in the North Sea, using the West Hercules rig.

The safety authority said on Monday that the well 30/6-31 S belongs to production licenses 053 and 053C, for which Equinor is the operator. The well has been given the prospect name of Helleneset.

The site where the well is to be drilled is on the Horda Platform, around six kilometres from the Oseberg field. Water depth at the site is 107 metres.

Drilling is scheduled to start in early 2020 and is estimated to last at least 31 days.

The well will be drilled by the West Hercules drilling rig, which is owned and operated by Seadrill. West Hercules is a sixth-generation, semi-submersible drilling rig built in 2008 at the Daewoo Shipyard in South Korea.

The rig was issued with an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) by the PSA in 2012.

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.