The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 30/8-7 S, located in production license 190 in the Norwegian North Sea.
According to official information, the authorization complies with Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations. With this permit, the company is authorized to proceed with a new exploratory operation within the Norwegian continental shelf.
Well 30/8-7 S: exploration within license 190
Production license 190 maintains Equinor as the operator with a 50% stake. Petoro holds 40% and TotalEnergies EP Norge retains the remaining 10%, according to data collected by specialized offshore media.
Furthermore, this license is valid from September 9, 1993, until the same date in 2032, maintaining it as an active block within the Norwegian exploratory portfolio.
Deepsea Bergen to be the drilling unit
The operation will be carried out using the semi-submersible rig Deepsea Bergen, owned by Odfjell Drilling. This unit was formerly known as Deepsea Bollsta and is part of the assets used for offshore drilling in demanding environments.
Additionally, the rig was built in 2019. Offshore Energy highlights that it can accommodate 180 people and work in water depths between 70 and 500 meters. Offshore Engineer, for its part, describes it as a CS 60 E design unit suitable for benign and harsh environments, with the capacity to operate in water depths of up to 3,000 meters.
New upstream activity in Norwegian waters
The permit for well 30/8-7 S reinforces the continuity of upstream activity in the North Sea, a key area for hydrocarbon exploration and production in Norway.
For now, the central point is regulatory: Equinor already has the necessary approval to execute the drilling of the exploratory well within license 190. Operational progress will depend on the company’s schedule, rig availability, and the technical conditions of the area.
Source: Norwegian Offshore Directorate
Photo: Shutterstock