Norwegian subsidiary of the Italian oil company Eni has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority in Norway to drill an exploration well in block 7222 in the Barents Sea with one of Saipem’s drilling rigs.
Eni Norge, the operator for production licence 226 in the Barents Sea, is going to drill the well in a prospect named Aurelia, with the designation 7222/1-1. The well will be drilled with the 2012-built Scarabeo 8 drilling rig owned by Eni’s compatriot company, Saipem.
The safety agency stated that water depth at the site is 424 metres and drilling is estimated to last for 58 days, depending on whether a discovery is made.
Scarabeo 8 is a semi-submersible drilling rig of the Moss CS 50 MkII design. The rig is winterized and designed for working at water depths between 70 and 3050 metres.