Norwegian oil and gas player Vår Energi has secured a drilling permit from the country’s authorities to spud two wildcat wells in the North Sea, using one of Odfjell Drilling-managed semi-submersible rigs.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) recently granted Vår Energi a drilling permit for the wells 25/7-12 S and 25/7-12 A in production license 917 , which was awarded on March 2, 2018, and is valid until March 2, 2027.
Vår Energi holds an ownership interest of 40% and acts as the operator of the license, while its partners are Aker BP (40%) and Equinor (20%). The wells will be drilled with the Deepsea Yantai rig, which is owned by China’s CIMC and managed by Odfjell Drilling.
The 2019-built Deepsea Yantai rig, which is of a GM4D design, is capable of harsh environment operation. The semi-sub lined up several jobs for 2023. The most recent one was disclosed with ConocoPhillips Skandinavia, enabling the rig to drill one firm well while also containing an extension option to drill two further wells in PL 891 in the Norwegian Sea.