Eni Norge has been granted a permit to drill an appraisal well in the Barents Sea offshore Norway.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) said the Italian oil and gas giant had received permission for the 7122/7-7 S well to be drilled from the West Hercules rig after it had wrapped up drilling of wildcat well 7324/3-4 for Equinor in production license 615.
This follows a gas discovery by Equinor in production license 615, which is located near to the Atlantis gas discovery in the Barents Sea, from the West Hercules rig.
Eni intends to investigate a prospect named Goliat West and has already been granted a safety consent by the NDP to deploy the West Hercules rig for this purpose.
The NPD said the drilling program for well 7122/7-7 S relates to the drilling of an appraisal well in production license 229, which is operated by Eni Norge through its 65% interest, with Equinor holding the balance of 35%.
This license consists of blocks 7122/7, 8, 9 and 10 and the well will be drilled about 2.4 km west of the discovery well 7122/7-1 on the Goliat field.
Eight wells have been drilled in production license 229, which was awarded in 1997.
