Borgland Dolphin (photo: Dolphin Drilling)

The Petroleum Safety Authority, Norway, has granted Tullow Oil Norge AS (TONAS) consent to drill an exploration well in block 16/5.

TONAS is the operator for production licence 776 in the North Sea. The well will be drilled in a prospect named Rome, with the designation 16/5-6. It is located around 37 kilometres southeast of the Edvard Grieg field.

Drilling is scheduled to begin in June at the earliest and estimated to last 30 days, depending on whether a discovery is made.

Drilling will be performed using Borgland Dolphin - a semi-submersible mobile drilling facility of the Aker H-3 type. The facility is owned by Fred. Olsen Energy ASA and operated by Dolphin Drilling AS. It was built as a flotel in 1977 and refitted/upgraded into a drilling facility in 1999.

Borgland Dolphin received Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) from the PSA in September 2004.

Tags: Petroleum Safety Authority, Tullow Oil Norge AS