The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted the Norwegian oil company Statoil a drilling permit for a wildcat well in the North Sea, offshore Norway.

The drilling program for well 30/11-13 relates to the drilling of a wildcat well to be drilled from Songa Offshore’s Songa Delta drilling rig in production licence 035.

Statoil Petroleum is the operator with an ownership interest of 50 per cent, and Det norske oljeselskap is a licensee with an ownership interest of 50 per cent.

The area in this licence consists of part of block 30/11. Production licence 035 was awarded in the second licensing round on November 14, 1969.

According to the agency, this is the thirteenth exploration well to be drilled within the licence area.

Statoil also recently received a nod to drill two wells in the same production licence in the North Sea.