Equinor and other explorers aim to move forward with the drilling of a number of wildcats off Norway this year after filing applications with authorities, while also gaining approvals for a pair of wells.

The state-controlled operator has applied to the country’s Environmental Agency (EA) to sink the 7018/5-1 exploration well at the Spissa prospect in the Barents Sea using the semi-submersible West Hercules, having earlier decided to drill an initial pilot hole at the prospect.

The main probe will be drilled in a water depth of 304 metres in Equinor-operated production licence 960 in the south-west Barents between September 2020 and February 2021, with a most likely spud date of this autumn, according to the application.

It will target oil in a Jurassic-aged reservoir and will also investigate a deeper-lying Triassic structure.

New permits

Equinor also plans to drill an exploration well at the Swisher prospect in the northern North Sea.

Drilling of the 35/11‐24 well will be carried out using the same Seadrill-owned rig in Equinor-operated PL248C to the north of the Troll field starting in July or August this year, with an estimated duration of 70 days, according to an application with the EA.

It will target hydrocarbons in a sandstone structure in the Viking group in a water depth of 355 metres.

Equinor has now gained a permit from the authorities to drill the 30/2-5S well using the West Hercules at the high-pressure, high-temperature Atlantis prospect in its operated production licence in the Viking Graben area, north-west of the decommissioned Huldra field in the northern North Sea.

Drilling work at the latter well is due to start once the company has wrapped up an ongoing probe at the Gabriel prospect, also in the North Sea.

The company has, however, shelved another planned wildcat at the Shenzhou prospect in the Barents that is among at least 10 wells that have been postponed off Norway due to exploration cutbacks amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Norwegian Sea wells in sight

Meanwhile, Austria’s OMV has gained the safety green light to sink the 6506/11-12S appraisal well, and possible sidetrack 6506/11-12A, at the Hades discovery in its operated PL644 in the Norwegian Sea using semisub Island Innovator.

Drilling of the main well has an estimated duration of 99 days, with around 23 days for the sidetrack.

Further well applications have been submitted with the EA by ConocoPhillips and Wellesley Petroleum.

ConocoPhillips aims to drill wildcat 6507/4-1 at the Warka prospect in its operated PL1009 in the Norwegian Sea using semisub Leiv Eiriksson, with an earliest spud date of 1 August.

Wellesley has its sights on the Schweinsteiger prospect with the 6204/11-3 well to be drilled in its operated PL829 using semisub Borgland Dolphin in the southern Norwegian Sea, about six kilometres north-east of the Gjoa platform.

It is due to be spudded in August at the earliest, with an estimated duration of 37 days.

Rigs And Vessels

Fresh exploration wells on the menu off Norway