Equinor gets go-ahead for drilling ops with COSL rig

Equinor Receives Approval for Drilling Operations Using COSL Rig
May 23, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

Norwegian state-owned energy company Equinor has been granted a drilling permit for an exploration well in the Norwegian part of the North Sea. The drilling will be conducted using a semi-submersible rig owned by COSL Drilling Europe, an offshore drilling company.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has given Equinor permission to drill wellbore 35/11-31 S in production license 090, which was initially granted on March 9, 1984, and is valid until December 31, 2040.
Equinor holds a 45% stake in the license and operates it, with Vår Energi and Inpex Idemitsu Norge as partners holding 40% and 15% interests, respectively. The drilling of well 35/11-31 S is scheduled to commence in June 2025 using the COSL Innovator drilling rig.
Equinor hired the COSL Innovator rig in August 2023 for a two-year project starting in the second quarter of 2025, with the option to extend the contract for three more years. The COSL Innovator rig, built in 2012, is capable of operating in water depths of up to 750 meters.
This drilling permit comes shortly after Equinor’s approval for another well, 7220/5-4, which will be drilled next month using the COSL Prospector semi-submersible rig.
Norway is showing its commitment to increasing oil and gas exploration activities, evident in the addition of new blocks in the latest round of pre-defined areas 2025 (APA 2025) compared to the previous year.