Equinor and AkerBP have been cleared by Norway’s offshore petroleum safety regulator to drill a total of five offshore exploration wells in the Norwegian North Sea.

Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority said it had given its consent for the five exploration wells, two to be operated by Equinor and three by AkerBP.

Four of the prospects are on AkerBP’s programme of exploration wells in 2022 — Gjegnalunden, Styggehoe, Angulata and P-Graben.