The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor approval to drill two wildcat wells in the North Sea under separate production licences.
The first permit covers well 34/4-19 S in production licence 057, where Equinor operates with a 31 % stake. Partners in the licence are Petoro with 30 %, Harbour Energy Norge holding 24.5 %, INPEX Idemitsu Norge at 9.6 %, and Vår Energi with 4.9 %.
Drilling will be carried out using the semi-submersible rig Deepsea Atlantic, operated by Odfjell Drilling. The sixth-generation unit is designed for harsh environments and deepwater conditions, capable of working in water depths of up to 3,000 meters and reaching drilling depths of around 10,670 meters.
The second permit relates to well 34/6-9 S under production licence 554, where Equinor has a 40 % interest as operator. Aker BP and Vår Energi each hold 30 %. This well will be drilled with the COSLInnovator rig, built to withstand North Sea and Norwegian Sea conditions, with capacity to operate in water depths up to 750 meters.
The approvals highlight Equinor’s continued focus on exploration in Norway, with the use of two different rigs reflecting a strategy of matching technical capabilities to site conditions. The partner structures also illustrate the collaborative model common in Norwegian offshore projects, spreading both financial exposure and potential gains.
These wildcat wells, by definition drilled in areas without proven hydrocarbon reserves, carry higher risk but remain a central part of Norway’s upstream exploration efforts.
