Equinor Drills Dry Well in Barents Sea
February 18, 2026
COSLProspector rig (Credit: COSL)
Equinor and its partners have drilled a dry well on the Vikingskipet prospect in the Barents Sea.
Wildcat well 7018/5-2 was drilled in production license 1236, about 190 kilometers west of Hammerfest and about 140 kilometers southwest of the Snøhvit field.
Equinor is the operator of the license with 50% working interest, with partners Vår Energi and Petoro holding 30% and 20%, respectively.
This is the first exploration well in the production licence, which was awarded in 2024 (APA 2023).
The well was drilled by COSL’s COSLProspector semi-submersible rig, and was deemed dry.
Water depth at the site is 310 meters, and the well will be permanently plugged and abandoned.
