Germany's Wintershall has received consent from the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) for exploration drilling in the Norwegian Sea using the Transocean Spitsbergen rig.

The PSA gave its consent to Wintershall's Norwegian subsidiary, Wintershall Norge AS, for exploration drilling of well named 6706/6-2 located in production license 847.

Wintershall is the operator of the license with a 40 percent interest with Equinor, OMV, and Repsol as its partners with 20 percent each.

Drilling is scheduled to begin in September 2018 and to last 61 days, or 93 days if a find is made. The drilling campaign is set to investigate a prospect named Marisko.

The well will be drilled by Transocean Spitsbergen, a semi-submersible drilling rig of the Aker H-6e type, owned and operated by Transocean. It was built at the Aker Stord yard in 2009, registered in the Marshall Islands and classified by DNV GL.

Transocean Spitsbergen received a new Acknowledgement of Compliance from the PSA in November 2012 following a change of ownership.