Equinor Receives Drilling Permit for Exploration Wells in the North Sea

Norwegian state-owned energy giant Equinor has received a drilling permit for two exploration wells in the North Sea off the coast of Norway. The wells, designated as 15/5-8 S and 15/5-8 A, will be drilled with a semi-submersible rig owned by Odfjell Drilling, an offshore drilling contractor.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) has granted Equinor the drilling permit for the wellbores in production license 1140, which was awarded on March 11, 2022, and is valid until the same date in 2029. Equinor operates the production license with a 60% interest, while Aker BP holds the remaining 40% stake.

The drilling of the first wildcat well, 15/5-8 S, is scheduled to commence in June 2025, followed by the drilling of the second well, 15/5-8 A, in August 2025.

Both wells will be drilled using the Deepsea Atlantic semi-submersible rig, a sixth-generation deepwater and harsh environment rig of enhanced GVA 7500 design. Equinor has extended its contract with Odfjell Drilling for the rig until the end of Q2 2027.

Recently, Equinor utilized the same rig to make a significant gas/condensate discovery in the wildcat well 6406/6-7 S. Preliminary estimates indicate the discovery holds 3-7 million standard cubic meters of recoverable oil equivalent, equivalent to 19-44 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent.