Updated February 28, 2026.
NCS Exploration Drilling Updates – Feb. 27, 2026👏 Since my last update, 1 new wildcat has started drilling and 2 wells have concluded drilling. Currently, four (4) exploration wells are being drilled on the NCS👏. Details..⤵️
➡️ Active Wells:
– Well 7220/7-5: Wildcat well by Equinor in the Barents Sea (PL 532). Spud date – Feb 20 by COSL Prospector rig. The prospect is located south of the Johan Castberg field, in the southern part of the Bjørnøyrenna Fault Complex (BFC). The wildcat well will test for hydrocarbon accumulations in Lower-Middle Jurassic reservoirs trapped within fault terraces. Located to the southwest of this prospect is the “Kayak” discovery well that proved oil accumulations in Early Cretaceous reservoirs. Prospect name – “Polynya-Tubåen”. Likely targets – Lower-Middle Jurassic reservoirs. Partner – Vår Energi, Petoro AS👏
– Well 35/11-32 S: Ongoing wildcat well by Equinor in the Northern North Sea – Lomre Terrace area (PL 090 HS). Spud date – Jan. 26 by COSL Innovator rig. Prospect name – “Byrding C-Barde”. Likely targets – Late Jurassic / Paleocene reservoirs. Partner – Inpex-Idemitsu Norge AS 👏
– Well 34/4-19 S: Ongoing well by Equinor in the Northern North Sea – Tampen Spur area (PL 057). Spud date – Jan. 23 by Deepsea Atlantic rig. Prospect name – “Omega South”. Likely targets – Triassic reservoirs / (Late Jurassic?). Partner – Petoro, Harbour Energy, Inpex-Idemitsu, Vår Energi 👏
– Well 34/8-A-37 H: Ongoing wildcat well by Equinor in the Northern North Sea – Tampen Spur area (PL 120). Spud date – Jan. 17 by Visund rig. Likely targets – Triassic reservoirs / (Lower Jurassic?). Partner – Petoro, ConocoPhillips, Repsol 👏
➡️ Drilling Results:
– Well 7018/5-2 S: Equinor has concluded drilling of the “Vikingskipet” prospect in the Barents Sea (PL 1236). The prospect targeted the Jurassic Tør Formation but was dry. Details… 👉 Click here for details.
– Well 25/8-C-23 D: Vår Energi has concluded drilling of the “Prince Updip” prospect in the North Sea (PL-027). The well was dry. Details… 👉 Click here for details.
➡️ Comments:
– Vikingskipet prospect was dry… perhaps some of the vital followup questions (aside from why the well was dry) are – (1) What do we know now that we didn’t know before Vikingskipet was drilled?… (2) What is the significance for wider prospectivity in this area of the Troms-Finnmark Fault Complex (TFFC) now that both “Spissa” and “Vikingskipet” prospects have come up dry? Note – Both prospects tested Horst blocks on the margins of the TFFC, with Harstad Basin to the west…. (3) Is this result related to the time of trap formation which are rift related, and subsequent post trap-formation uplifts / fault movements in the area? (**possible hints from extracted maps over specific intervals)…. plus, are there areas with potential for protected traps? ..(4) Was there really a case for drilling the “Vikingskipet” prospect after the “Spissa” prospect proved to be dry? ..(5) Can we still squeeze out any value from the Vikingskipet well even though it was dry? …Let’s have a chat if you’d like some ineights on these questions!
– APA 2025 Awards: Good to see that several of the licence awards and pick-ups by various NCS explorers are within my recommended plays and play areas for the North Sea and Norwegian Sea Basins.👏 Check my my blog on recommended plays in the North Sea.👏
➡️ As always, contact me for more details – recommended plays and play areas, prospect critical work / reviews, identified lead opportunities, farm-in candidates, and well predictions👏… I’m also available for exploration projects to help fulfil workprogram commitments – consulting@ytfexploration.com👏
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Tags: NCS, Exploration, Wildcats, Drilling, Barents Sea, Prospect, Norwegian Continental Shelf, Jurassic plays, North Sea, APA 2025, Licensing rounds, Prospectivity.
Featured Image: Transocean Norge Rig (Source – Transocean).
