The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate granted Statoil Petroleum AS a drilling permit for wellbore 6407/8-7, cf. section 8 of the resource management regulations, the directorate said May 5.

The Transocean Spitsbergen facility will drill wellbore 6407/8-7, a wildcat well in production license 348 C, part of Block 6407/8. The well will be drilled in the block about 4.5 km north of the Hyme Field and about 22 km northeast of the Njord Field.

Statoil Petroleum AS is the operator with a 35% ownership interest. The other licensees are GDF SUEZ E&P Norge AS (20%), E.ON E&P Norway AS (17.5% ), Core Energy AS (17.5%), Faroe Petroleum Norway AS (7.5%) and VNG Norge AS (2.5%).

Production license 348 C was awarded on Feb. 13. This is the first well to be drilled in the license.

Statoil Petroleum AS’ permit requires the company to secure all other permits and consents before drilling.

Source: Norwegian Petroleum Directorate