Equinor gets nod for exploration well in Barents Sea

Norwegian offshore safety body, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), has given its consent to Equinor for exploration drilling in the Barents Sea with the West Hercules drilling rig. 

The consent covers drilling of exploration well 7132/2-1 in production license 857 in block 7132/2 in the eastern Barents Sea. Equinor is the operator of the license with a 40% interest and Lundin, Aker BP, and Petoro are its partners with a 20% interest each.

The safety body informed on Tuesday that the purpose of the well is to investigate a prospect that the licensees have named Gjøkåsen where the water depth is 293 meters.

Drilling is scheduled to begin in early August 2018 and the activity is estimated to last 28.5 days.

The well 7132/2-1 is to be drilled by the West Hercules mobile drilling rig. This is a semi-submersible drilling rig of the GVA 7500 type, operated by North Atlantic Drilling.

West Hercules was issued with an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) by the PSA in December 2012.