Back to overview Home Fossil Energy Path clear for Odfjell Drilling’s rig to spud North Sea wildcat in August Path clear for Odfjell Drilling’s rig to spud North Sea wildcat in August Exploration & Production June 29, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic Share this article Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor has secured a drilling permit for operations in the North Sea on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), which will be conducted with a semi-submersible rig owned by Odfjell Drilling, an offshore drilling contractor. Deepsea Bergen rig; Source: Odfjell Drilling The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor a drilling permit for the wellbore 30/8-7 S in production license 190 , which is valid from September 9, 1993, until the same date in 2032. Equinor is the operator of the licence with a 50% interest, with its partners, Petoro and TotalEnergies EP Norge, holding the remaining 40% and 10% stakes, respectively. The drilling activities will be undertaken with Odfjell Drilling’s  Deepsea Bergen , formerly Deepsea Bollsta , semi-submersible rig. This content is available after accepting the cookies. Change cookie-settings View on Offshore-energy. Odfjell Drilling buys six-year-old rig: Name change coming up next year The 2019-built rig, which can accommodate 180 people, is equipped with a full conventional mooring spread for operations in water depths of 70 to 500 meters.  This drilling permit comes shortly after the Norwegian giant handed out a proposed program for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of a potential field development in the Barents Sea for public consultation. Power Your Brand With Offshore Energy ⤵️ Take the spotlight and anchor your brand in the heart of the offshore world! Join us for a bigger impact and amplify your presence at the core hub of the offshore energy community! ADVERTISE on Offshore-Energy.biz View post tag: Deepsea Bergen View post tag: Equinor View post tag: North Sea View pos