The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted a drilling permit to Total E&P Norge for the drilling of a wildcat well.
The company plan for the well to be drilled using the Maersk Gallant drilling facility in production licence 618.
The well will be drilled around 40km northwest of the Ekofisk field and is the first to be drilled in the licence.
The production licence 618 is in the southern North Sea and borders on the UK shelf.
The area in this licence consists of parts of the blocks 1/2, 3, 5, 6 and 9/10.
Total E&P Norge AS is the operator with an ownership interest of 60% while the other licensees are GDF Suez Norge AS and Petoro AS, both with 20% ownership interest.