Lundin Norway has received regulatory consent from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate to drill an exploration well in the License 609 in the Barents Sea.
Lundin will use the West Bollsta semi-submersible drilling rig for the operation. Lundin operates the block with a 40 percent ownership. Its partners in the offshore license are Idemitsu Petroleum Norge, and Wintershall Dea Norge, each with a 30 percent stake.
The well will be drilled 12 kilometers east of the 7220/6-2 discovery. This is the 13th well to be drilled in the license
The West Bollsta semi-submersible drilling rig arrived at Hanoytangen, Norway last week, having been towed from Tenerife, Spain. The rig will be prepared by Semco for its 10-well contract with Lundin Norway on Norwegian Continental Shelf in scheduled to begin in Q2 2020.
The West Bollsta has a firm contract until early 2022, with Lundin having options to extend the contract further for close to one year.
Worth noting, the NPD permit is conditional on the operator securing all other permits and consents required by other authorities prior to starting the drilling activity.
The drilling unit has yet to receive the Acknowledgment of Compliance from Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority, which would deem the rig fit for work on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
In a recent audit, in relation to Seadrill's application for the AoC of the drilling unit, the Norwegian offshore safety regulators found irregularities aboard the rig, related to electrical facilities, technical safety, and maintenance management.
In a statement in January, the PSA Norway said it had identified seven “non-conformities” aboard the West Bollsta.
“For us to issue an AoC, all known safety-critical non-conformities must be rectified and the facility must have been issued with maritime certificates from the relevant flag state,” it then said, giving Seadrill until February 7, 2020, to respond on who it plans to rectify the faults.
OEDigital has reached out to PSA Norway, seeking more info on the West Bollsta AoC progress.
Responding, a PSA Norway spokesperson said: "Seadrill is called to a meeting with us later this week to explain how they will handle these nonconformities. The AoC application for West Bollsta is still pending."
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