Equinor obtains two drilling permits in North Sea

Core Insights - Norwegian energy company Equinor has obtained two permits from the Norwegian Offshore Directorate to drill wildcat wells in the North Sea, specifically wellbore 34/4-19 S and wellbore 34/6-9 S, with planned spud dates in September 2025 and October 2025 respectively [1][3] Group 1: Drilling Permits and Licenses - The permits cover wellbore 34/4-19 S in production licence 057, which was awarded in 1979, and wellbore 34/6-9 S in production licence 554, awarded in 2010 [1][3] - Equinor operates production licence 057 with a 31% stake, while other partners include Petoro (30%), Harbour Energy Norge (24.5%), INPEX Idemitsu Norge (9.6%), and Vår Energi (4.9%) [2][3] - For production licence 554, Equinor holds a 40% interest, with Aker BP and Vår Energi each holding a 30% interest [3] Group 2: Drilling Equipment and Contracts - The 34/4-19 S well will be drilled using Odfjell Drilling's Deepsea Atlantic rig, a sixth-generation semi-submersible rig capable of operating in water depths up to 3,000 meters [2] - The Deepsea Atlantic rig is contracted to Equinor until Q2 2027, with options to extend the contract until 2030 [3] - The 34/6-9 S well will be drilled using the COSL Innovator rig, which can operate in water depths up to 750 meters, and is contracted for two years starting in Q2 2025, with options to extend until the second half of 2030 [4] Group 3: Recent Discoveries - Last month, Equinor and its partners announced an oil and gas discovery in the Fram area of the North Sea [4]