The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Total E&P Norge a drilling permit for an exploratory well in the North Sea, offshore Norway.

NPD said on Wednesday, that the 30/4-3 S exploratory well will be drilled with the Mærsk Intrepid jack-up rig in production licence 040/043.

The area is home to the giant Martin Linge field, approved for development in 2012.

According to NPD, the drilling program for well 30/4-3 S relates to the drilling of a wildcat well with Total E&P Norge as the operator.

The area in this licence consists of a part of block 30/4. Production licence PL 040 was awarded in the 3rd licensing round on April 1 1975, and PL 043 was awarded on December 31, 1975.

This is the third exploration well to be drilled within the licence area. A total of 16 wells, including sidetracks, have been drilled in the Martin Linge area, located 170 km west of Bergen.

The Martin Linge development plan includes integrated wellhead, production and accommodation platform with a jacket, in addition to an oil storage vessel. When the field comes on stream, the gas will flow through a new pipeline connecting the field to the existing pipeline to St. Fergus in Scotland. The oil will be processed on the storage vessel and transported from the field in shuttle tankers. First oil is scheduled for 2018.