Safety nod for Spirit Energy to use Leiv Eiriksson rig in Barents Sea

Oil and gas company Spirit Energy has received consent from the Norwegian offshore safety body, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), for exploration drilling in the Barents Sea using the Leiv Eiriksson drilling rig.

The PSA said on Wednesday that the consent applied to the exploration drilling of one well in block 7321/8 in production license 719.

According to the safety regulator, the activities on the well, designated 7321/8-2 S, are expected to last around 54 days in a water depth of 466 metres.

As for the rig, the Leiv Eiriksson is a semi-submersible drilling rig of the SS Trosvik Bingo 9000 type, managed by Transocean following the acquisition of the rig’s previous owner Ocean Rig.

The rig has been busy this year but with mixed results.

In January, it made a minor oil and gas discovery on the 25/7-8 S wildcat well, named Enniberg, near the Balder field while working for ConocoPhillips.

After completing operations on Enniberg, it continued to drill another wildcat well for ConocoPhillips the following month with the well turning up dry. Both wells were located in production license 917.