The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Statoil Petroleum a drilling permit for well 6407/7-9 S, located in the Norwegian Sea.

The well will be drilled from Songa Offshore’s Songa Delta semi-sub drilling rig. The oil company received consent from the offshore safety body, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), to drill the will with the Songa Delta rig in June.

The drilling program for well 6407/7-9 S relates to drilling of an exploration well in production licence PL 107 C.

Statoil Petroleum is the operator with an ownership interest of 20 per cent. The other licensees are Engie E&P Norge (40 per cent), DEA Norge (30 per cent), Faroe Petroleum Norge (7.5 per cent) and VNG Norge (2.5 per cent).

The area in this licence consists of 20.97 square kilometres of block 6407/7. The well will be drilled about five kilometres north of the Njord field.

Production licence 107 C was awarded on January 23, 2009 in APA 2008 and this is the first exploration well to be drilled within the licence.