Updated May 31, 2026.
NCS Exploration Drilling Updates – May 29, 2026👏 Since my last update, one (1) new wildcat well has started drilling. Currently, two exploration wells are being drilled on the NCS👏 (Fig. 1). Details..⤵️
➡️ Active Wells:
– Well 25/7-13: Wildcat well by Equinor in the South Viking Graben area of the North Sea (PL 782 S). Spud date – May 4 by COSL Innovator rig. Prospect name – “Linga”. Likely targets – Upper Jurassic (Intra-Draupne) reservoirs. Partner – AkerBP.👏 See figs. 2-4 below.
– Well 35/10-16 S: Ongoing appraisal well for Carmen discovery well by Wellesley Petroleum in the Northern North Sea (PL 1148). Spud date – April 19 by Deepsea Yantai rig. Targets – Middle Jurassic Brent Group reservoirs and Lower Jurassic reservoirs (Cook Formation). Planned Content: Gas/Condensate. Partners – DNO Norge, Equinor, AkerBP👏 See figs. 5-6 below.
➡️ Highlights / Comments:
– Linga prospect: It’s good to see another Upper Jurassic wildcat well being drilled in the South Viking Graben. This northwest area of the Utsira High has a long history of explorers chasing the deep marine Upper Jurassic play. The long list of explorers include – ConocoPhillips (drilled well 25/7-2 in 1990), Marathon Oil Norge (2009-2013), Maersk Oil (PL 505 operator in 2013), and currently, Equinor (PL 782 S operator). Each of the explorers developed and tested different play concepts and models with different results… until DNO Norge drilled what was considered a play opener, – Norma discovery well. “Norma” tested for and proved hydrocarbon accumulations in Upper Jurassic sands deposited further out into the basin, with good porosities👏 For more, read my article on the Upper Jurassic play of the South Viking Graben 👉Click here. In addition to the excitement of watching Linga prospect being drilled, the upcoming appraisal for the Norma discovery is another reason to stay excited for the Upper Jurassic play of the South Viking Graben.👏
– Seismic Surveys: For NCS exploration, the Central Graben region is back on the radar, and there’s enough data to back that up! For example, the new multi-client 3D seismic survey by TGS is another proof that the Central Graben “comeback” is real, and that the industry is actively interested and exploring in this area of the North Sea. I’ve been writing about the Central Graben “comeback” for about 2-3 years and its good to finally see a new 3D seismic dataset been acquired to support exploration activities in this region. Another important indicator is “acreage appeal”, ..and just within the last 2-3 years, previously open acreages within the Central Graben have been acquired by various explorers.👏 Without a doubt, the Geostreamer 3D DAZ seismic by TGS is coming at a time of renewed interest by various players (DNO, AkerBP, Source Energy, etc) in exploring the underexplored but highly prospective plays of the Central Graben. For example, the Othello oil discovery (25-57 million barrels) by DNO Norge (in 2024) was hailed as a play opener for the Paleocene-Eocene shallow target plays (Borr Sandstone member / Våle Formation). For more details on some of the plays that are being chased in the region, check out my blog article on Central Graben Prospectivity 👉 Click here 👏
Another recently announced seismic survey on the NCS is the OBN seismic survey by Viridien in the Frigg area of the North Sea. This is a good addition and will support unlocking further prospectivity in the Frigg area where the Omega/Alfa discovery was made last year. The impact of OBN seismic is already being felt in successful ILX exploration within the other areas covered by the other recently acquired OBN surveys👏
– Upcoming Wildcat in PL 532: Following up on the recent hydrocarbon discovery in Tubåen Formation reservoirs (Polynya-Tubåen prospect), Equinor looks to be set to drill another wildcat (7220/5-EC-2 H) in the Bjørnøyrenna Fault Complex area of the Barents Sea.👏 The partnership of Equinor, Vår Energi, and Petoro will be looking to repeat their previous successes in the highly prospective Tubåen Formation play (Drivis-Tubåen and Polynya-Tubåen).👏 The availability of modern seismic data with clear imaging of sub-BCU Jurassic fault blocks enables identification and maturation of prospects in this play. Oil prospectivity has also been proven in Cretaceous sands in this region, so opportunities exist for both shallow and deeper targets.👏
– Deals: AkerBP and Equinor have just agreed on a deal involving asset swap and changes in ownership interests in various discoveries.👏 Amongst other things, the deal is expected to speed up resource development and increase value creation in discoveries that are yet to be developed on the NCS.👏 Part of the deal involves discoveries in the Ringvei Vest project, Wisting discovery, and the Omega/Alfa discovery…as well as a cash consideration of $23 million to be paid by AkerBP. Collaborations like this are needed on the NCS. Check my previous post / comments on the need for collaborations across acreage lines and across portfolio strategies to ensure industry resilience on the NCS (see link here). As the Norwegian North Sea matures and the discovery size gets smaller, collaborations like this will be needed to ensure that those smaller discoveries are not left undeveloped.👏
– APA 2026 Recommended Plays: Stay tuned, coming soon.👏
As always, contact me for more details on any of the above – recommended plays and play areas, prospect critical work / reviews, identified lead opportunities, potential farm-in candidates, and well predictions –
Email – consulting@ytfexploration.com.
Website – https://www.ytfexploration.com.
Images
Fig. 1 (Link)
Fig. 2 (Link). Fig. 3 (Link). Fig. 4 (Link)
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Fig. 5 (Link) Fig. 6 (Link) Fig. 7 (Link)
Fig. 8 (Link)
Tags: NCS, Exploration, North Sea, ILX Exploration,
Featured Image: COSL Innovator Rig (Source – COSL)
