Equinor Energy AS has been granted a drilling permit by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate for a North Sea exploration well to be drilled about 17 km south of Kvitebjørn.
Well 30/2-5 S, to be drilled from the West Hercules drilling facility after concluding drilling of wildcat well 35/10-6 for Equinor in production license 827 S, is the first exploration well to be drilled in license 878.
The area in the license consists of parts of Blocks 30/2 and 30/3.
Equinor is operator with 60%. Partners are Wellesley Petroleum AS, 20%, and Source Energy AS, 20%.
Equinor intends to continue to mature its portfolio of exploration assets and estimates a total exploration activity level of $1 billion for 2020, excluding signature bonuses and field development costs, the company said as part of its first quarter report May 7.
Organic capital expenditures are estimated at $8.5 billion for 2020.
