The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has given StatoilHydro the go-ahead to drill well 15/5-7 A with the Transocean Winnersemisub.
The well will be spudded when the rig has completed work on the 15/5-7 appraisal well in production licence 048 and it will be a sidetrack to the exisint well.
StatoilHydro will act as operator with a 78.2% stake and Total is the other licensee with an ownership interest of 21.8%.
The area in the production licence consists of two parts of block 15/5, which lies just northwest of the Sleipner area in the North Sea.
Production licence 048 was awarded in the third licensing round on the Norwegian shelf in 1977. This is the fourth well to be drilled in the production licence.