The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for wellbore 7018/5-2 in production license 1236, located in the Barents Sea on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The authorization was issued under Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations, NOD confirmed on October 29, 2025.
The upcoming well will be drilled on behalf of a license group consisting of Equinor (operator, 50%), Vår Energi (30%), and Petoro (20%). Production license 1236 was awarded in 2023 during the APA (Awards in Predefined Areas) licensing round and covers an area in the southern Barents Sea.
According to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, well 7018/5-2 will test a prospect in a frontier area near existing Barents Sea infrastructure. The drilling operation will mark the first exploration well drilled under PL 1236 and will further evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of the acreage.
Equinor has not yet confirmed which rig will carry out the operation, though the campaign is expected to commence in late 2025 or early 2026, subject to operational readiness and weather conditions.
The permit reinforces Equinor’s continued exploration focus in Norway’s Arctic region, where the company is leading several ongoing appraisal and wildcat drilling campaigns aimed at replenishing reserves and strengthening long-term domestic gas supply.
