The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Wintershall Norge AS a drilling permit for well 16/1-16 A, cf. Section 8 of The Resource Management Regulations.
Well 16/1-16 A will be drilled from the Bredford Dolphin semi-submersible driilling rig at position 58°54’47.77″ north 02°15’54.65’’ east of Wintershall Norge AS in drilling permit 457.
The drilling programme for well 16/1-16 A relates to drilling of an appraisal well in production licence 457. Wintershall is the operator with a 40 per cent ownership interest. The other licensees are E.ON E&P Norge AS, Bridge Energy Norge AS and VNG Norge AS, each with 20 per cent.
The acreage in this permit includes parts of block 16/1. The well will be drilled approximately 3 kilometres north of the Edvard Grieg field and approximately 3 kilometres east of the oil discovery 16/1-9 Ivar Åsen in the central North Sea.
Production licence 457 was awarded on 29 February 2008 (APA 2007). This is the second well to be drilled within the area covered by the licence.
The permit is contingent upon the operator securing all other permits and consents required by other authorities before the drilling starts.
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December 6, 2012; Image: Dolphin Drilling