Tuesday 31 July 2018

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 7220/5-3, cf. Section 8 of the Resource Management Regulations.

Well 7220/5-3 will be drilled from the Songa Enabler drilling facility at position 72°35'53.39"N and 20°22'59.64"E.

The drilling programme for well 7220/5-3 relates to the drilling of a wildcat well in production licence 532. Equinor is the operator with an ownership interest of 50 per cent. The other licensees are Eni Norge AS (30 per cent) and Petoro AS (20 per cent).

The area in this licence consists of blocks 7219/9 and 7220/4,5,7,8. The well will be drilled about 3 km north of the 7220/5-2 Nunatak gas discovery in Johan Castberg, about 245 km northwest of Hammerfest, and will test the Jurassic prospect called Skruis.

Production licence 532 was awarded on 15 May 2009 in the 20th licensing round on the Norwegian shelf. This is the ninth well to be drilled in the licence.

The drilling permit is contingent upon the operator securing all other permits and consents required by other authorities prior to commencing the drilling activity.