Maersk Interceptor (photo: Maersk Drilling)

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has granted Det norske consent to use Maersk Interceptor to drill production wells at Ivar Aasen.

Ivar Aasen is an oil and gas field in the North Sea, around 175 kilometres west-south-west of Karmøy in Rogaland county. Water depth in the area is approximately 110 metres. Det norske is the field's operator.

The field has been developed using a Production/Drilling/Quarters (PDQ) facility with a steel jacket. Drilling of the wells for the PDQ is being done from a jack-up facility with a cantilever drilling rig.

Det norske has received consent from the PSA to use the Maersk Interceptor jack-up drilling rig to drill production wells for Ivar Aasen PDQ. Wells have previously been drilled using another rig. It is provisionally planned for Maersk Interceptor to drill a further three wells.

Drilling is scheduled to start in late November and estimated to last until 1 July 2017.

Maersk Interceptor was delivered by the Keppel Shipyard of Singapore in 2014. The facility is owned by Maersk AS and operated by Maersk Drilling Norge AS.

Tags: Det norske oljeselskap ASA, Maersk Drilling, Petroleum Safety Authority