The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for the exploration well 16/5-7 in the North Sea, offshore Norway.
The drilling program for 16/5-7 relates to the drilling of a wildcat well in production license 502.
Equinor Energy AS is the operator with an ownership interest of 44.44 per cent. The other licensees are Petoro AS with 33.33 per cent and Aker BP AS with 22.22 per cent.
Well 16/5-7 will be drilled from the Transocean Spitsbergen drilling facility, a press release from NPD said.
The area in this licence consists of a part of block 16/5. The well will be drilled about three kilometres west of the southern part of the Johan Sverdrup field.
Production licence 502 was awarded on 23 February 2009 in APA 2008. This is the second exploration well to be drilled in the licence.
The permit is contingent on the operator securing all other permits and consents required by other authorities prior to starting the drilling activity.