Spirit Energy granted drilling permit for Cassidy well

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Spirit Energy Norge a drilling permit for a well in the North Sea offshore Norway.

NPD said on Monday that the drilling program for well 8/10-7 S, for which the permit was awarded, relates to the drilling of two wildcat wells in production license 405.

The two wells, designated 8/10-7 S and 8/10-8 S, will investigate a prospect that Spirit Energy has named Cassidy.

Spirit Energy Norge is the operator with an ownership interest of 40 percent. The other licensees are Suncor Energy Norge with 30 percent, Faroe Petroleum Norge with 15 percent, and Aker BP with 15 percent.

The area in this license consists of parts of block 8/10. The well will be drilled about five kilometers north of the Oda field using the Maersk Interceptor jack-up drilling rig. Drilling of the wells was scheduled to start on November 10. The drilling operations are expected to last for 162 days.

Production license 405 was awarded on February 16, 2007, in APA 2006. This is the seventh well to be drilled in the license.

It is worth reminding that Spirit Energy received consent from the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority last week to use the Maersk Interceptor on the two wells.

The consent applies to exploration drilling with a sidetrack, well testing, and associated appraisal well.