All-systems-go for Transocean rig to spin the drill bit in North Sea

OMV Norge, a Norwegian subsidiary of Austria-headquartered oil and gas player OMV, has received a drilling permit from the country’s authorities for a wildcat well in the North Sea off the coast of Norway, enabling it to undertake drilling activities next month with a semi-submersible rig owned by Transocean, an offshore drilling contractor.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) has granted OMV Norge a drilling permit for the 35/6-6 wellbore in production license (PL) 1109, which was awarded on February 19, 2021, and is valid until February 19, 2028.

OMV Norge is the operator of the license with an ownership interest of 30%, while its partners – DNO Norge, Pandion Energy, and Aker BP – hold the remaining 30%, 20%, and 20% interests, respectively. However, OKEA and DNO recently made arrangements to exchange partial stakes in two prospects, including this one.

Upon completion, DNO will retain a 20% interest in PL 1109, following OKEA’s entry in the license, where the Horatio well is scheduled to be drilled in the first quarter of 2025, using Transocean’s Transocean Norge semi-submersible rig.

The NOD’s data shows that the 35/6-6 well is slated to be drilled in February 2025. Horatio is situated approximately 20 km northwest of the Gjøa platform. Transocean Norge is said to be the first semi-submersible rig that secured the Abate (Power+) notation for greenhouse gas abatement.

The semi-sub won a 17-well contract in Norway at day rates between $350,000 and $430,000 in September 2022 for the drilling of all firm and additional potential wells in the period 2023 to 2027.

OMV, as the operator of the production license 1194, recently completed the drilling of the wildcat well 6605/6-1 S in the Norwegian Sea, targeting the Haydn/Monn exploration prospects, which led to a gas discovery with estimated recoverable volumes between 30 and 140 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe).