The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted VNG Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6406/12-3 B and A, cf. Section 8 of the Resource Management Regulations.
Well 6406/12-3 B & A will be drilled from the Transocean Arctic drilling facility at position 64°01’52.37" north and 6°45’17.46" east after completing drilling of wildcat well 6406/12-3 B and appraisal well 6406/12-3 A for VNG Norge AS in the same production licence.
The drilling programme for well 6406/12-3 B relates to drilling of an appraisal well and the drilling programme for well 6406/12-3 A relates to drilling of a wildcat well, both in production licence 586.
VNG Norge AS is the operator with an ownership interest of 30 per cent.
The other licensees are Spike Exploration Holding AS (30 per cent), Faroe Petroleum Norge AS (25 per cent) and Rocksource Exploration Norway AS (15 per cent).
The area in this licence consists of part of block 6406/11 and part of block 6406/12. The well will be drilled about 8 kilometres east of the 6406/11-1 S discovery and about 33 kilometres southwest of the Njord field.
Production licence 586 was awarded on 4 February 2011 (APA 2010). These are the second and third wells to be drilled in the licence.
The permit is contingent upon the operator securing all other permits and consents required by other authorities prior to commencing drilling activities.