Equinor set to drill North Sea prospect using Transocean rig

Norwegian oil company Equinor has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to use the Transocean Spitsbergen rig for drilling of the Presto prospect.

The well, named 36/1-3, is located in production license 885 in the North Sea where Equinor is the operator.

Equinor holds a 30 percent interest while its partners in the license Capricorn Norge, Petoro, and Wellesley hold 30, 20, and 20 percent interest respectively.

Announcing its consent for the well on Tuesday, the offshore safety body said that the drilling was planned to start in December 2018 and would last 35 days or 52 days if a discovery is made, in a water depth of 230 meters.

The well will be drilled by the Transocean Spitsbergen, a semi-submersible drilling facility of the Aker H-6e type, owned and operated by Transocean Offshore Ltd. The facility was built at the Aker Stord yard in 2009. It is registered in the Marshall Islands and classified by DNV GL.

Transocean Spitsbergen received a new Acknowledgement of Compliance from the PSA in November 2012 following a change of ownership.

It is worth noting that the rig is currently working for Wintershall’s Norwegian subsidiary, Wintershall Norge AS, on the Marisko prospect.