Wintershall Dea gets nod to spin the drill bit in Norwegian Sea

Germany’s oil and gas company Wintershall Dea has received consent from the country’s offshore safety regulator for exploration drilling in the Norwegian Sea, using one of Transocean’s semi-submersible rigs.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) recently gave Wintershall Dea consent for exploration drilling in block 6406/2 in the Norwegian Sea. The prospect, Bergknapp, is located in production licence 836 S, which was awarded on 5 February 2016 and is valid until 5 February 2026.

Wintershall Dea holds an ownership interest of 40 per cent and acts as the operator of the licence, while its partners are Sval Energi (30 per cent) and DNO Norge (30 per cent).

The water depth at the location is around 305.8 metres and the consent covers the well 6406/2-11, which will be drilled with the Transocean Norge rig, thanks to a 17-well contract, which the rig secured in September 2022.

As a reminder, the contract with day rates between $350,000 and $430,000 was awarded after Wintershall Dea and OMV entered into an exclusive partnership with Transocean for the use of the Transocean Norge rig for the drilling of all firm and additional potential wells in the period 2023 to 2027. Transocean recently got a one-well extension with Wintershall Dea for this rig.

The Transocean Norge sixth-generation Moss Maritime CS60 semi-submersible rig was constructed at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore. This rig can accommodate 150 people and its maximum drilling depth is 40,000 ft.