The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Spirit Energy a drilling permit for a wildcat well in the North Sea offshore Norway.
The well, named 16/1-33 S, will be drilled from the Leiv Eiriksson semi-submersible drilling rig.
The drilling program for well 16/1-33 S relates to the drilling of a wildcat well in production licence (PL) 780.
Spirit Energy Norway is the operator of the licence with an ownership interest of 60 per cent and Aker BP is a partner with 40 per cent.
The area in this licence consists of part of block 16/1.
The well will be drilled about 5 kilometres north of the Ivar Aasen field in the central part of the North Sea, and 205 kilometres west of Stavanger.
Production licence 780 was awarded on 6 February 2015 in APA 2014 on the Norwegian shelf.
This is the first exploration well to be drilled in the licence.