ENI gets approval to drill Barents well

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway cleared the Transocean semisubmersible Polar Pioneer to drill an exploratory well in the Barents Sea for Eni Norge, Offshore reported Sept. 22.

Well 7120/12-5, in license PL 489, will be spud in late September about 50 miles northwest of Hammerfest, in a water depth of 613 feet.

Offshore said Polar Pioneer has drilled production wells in the Barents Sea for Statoil on the Snohvit field, as well as exploration wells in the region for Statoil, Hydro and Eni.

In the North Sea, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a permit to RWE Dea Norge to drill the wildcat 35/9-6 S in PL 420, 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) west of the Gjoa field.

The semisubmersible Bredford Dolphin will drill the well after completing another wildcat, 6507/7-14 S, for RWE in PL 435, Offshore reported. PL 420 will be the first well drilled on the license, which was awarded in Norway’s APA 2006 licensing round.