The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Eni Norge a drilling permit for well 7222/1-1 located in the Barents Sea offshore Norway.

The well 7222/1-1 will be drilled in production licence 226 from Saipem’s Scarabeo 8 drilling rig. Eni also recently received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) in Norway to drill the well with Saipem’s semi-sub rig.

The drilling programme for well 7222/1-1 relates to the drilling of a wildcat well in production licence 226. Eni Norge AS is the operator with an ownership interest of 60 per cent. The other licensees are DEA Norge with 20 per cent and Edison Norge with 20 per cent.

The area in this licence consists of part of block 7220/1. The well will be drilled about 250 km north of Hammerfest.

Production licence 226 was awarded on May 30, 1997 in the Barents Sea project. This is the first well to be drilled within the licence area.