Norwegian energy company Equinor has secured two permits from the Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) to drill wildcat wells in the North Sea.  

The permits cover wellbore 34/4-19 S in production licence 057 and wellbore 34/6-9 S in production licence 554, with planned spud dates in September for the latter and October 2025 for the former. 

Production licence 057, awarded in 1979, is operated by Equinor with a stake of 31%. 

Other partners in this licence include Petoro (30%), Harbour Energy Norge (24.5%), INPEX Idemitsu Norge (9.6%) and Vår Energi (4.9%).  

The 34/4-19 S well will be drilled using Odfjell Drilling’s Deepsea Atlantic rig, reported Offshore-Energy.biz.  

Built in 2009, the Deepsea Atlantic rig is a sixth-generation semi-submersible rig enhanced with GVA 7500 design, and is intended for harsh environments and capable of operating in water depths up to 3,000m. 

Under a contract extension secured at end of January, the rig will stay with Equinor until the second quarter of 2027 (Q2 2027), with further options extending to 2030.  

Production licence 554, awarded in 2010, is operated by Equinor with a 40% interest, while Aker BP and Vår Energi each hold a 30% interest.  

The 34/6-9 S wildcat is the ninth well in this licence. The COSL Innovator rig, owned by COSL Drilling, has been chosen for the drilling.  

The COSL Innovator, built in 2012, is a GM4000 design semi-submersible rig that can operate in water depths up to 750m. 

Equinor booked the COSL Innovator in August 2023 for a two-year contract beginning in Q2 2025. 

Options for an additional three years could extend the rig's contract with Equinor until the second half of 2030.  

Last month, Equinor, along with its partners, announced an oil and gas discovery in the Fram area of the North Sea.