The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has issued a drilling permit to European oil exploration and production company Neptune Energy for well 6406/12-G-1 H located in the Norwegian Sea.
The drilling programme for the well relates to the drilling of a wildcat well in production licence 586.
According to the NPD, the area in this licence consists of part of block 6406.
The 6406/12-G-1 H well is the seventh exploration well to be drilled in this licence.
The well will be drilled from the Seadrill-operated semi-submersible drilling facility West Phoenix once it completes the drilling of observation well 6406/12-H-4 for Neptune Energy in production licence 586.
It will be drilled approximately 36km south-west of the Njord field.
NPD stated: “The licence is conditional on the operator securing all other permits and consents required by other authorities before drilling activity starts.”
Neptune Energy is the operator of the licence and owns 30% in it. Other licensees are Vår Energi (45%), Suncor Energy (17.5%) and DNO Norge (7.5%).
Last month, Neptune Energy announced the discovery of oil at the Dugong well in the Norwegian part of the North Sea.
In June, Neptune Energy announced plans to cut 400 jobs across nine countries to improve cash flow amid low oil prices. These redundancies represent nearly 21% of the company’s staff.
