Transocean Encourage Rig Up for Norwegian Sea Drilling Job
June 26, 2025

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) has granted Equinor a drilling permit for a wildcat well in the Norwegian Sea, to be drilled with Transocean’s Transocean Encourage rig.
The drilling permit is for the wellbore 6506/12-PB-3 H in production license 094, operated by Equinor with 40.95% working interest.
Its partners in the license include Vår Energi with 34.3% stake, and Petoro and TotalEnergies, holding 14.95% and 9.80% shares, respectively.
Transocean Encourage, a CAT D semi-submersible rig, owned and operated by Transocean, will be used for the drilling operation.
The 2016-built offshore drilling unit is a 6th generation fully winterized, harsh environment semisubmersible rig with automated drilling control specially designed for operations on the Norwegian continental shelf.