Harbour Energy Norge, a subsidiary of Harbour Energy, has received regulatory approval from the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) to proceed with exploration drilling in the North Sea. The consent allows Harbour Energy to conduct drilling activities in block 15/9 using the Noble Integrator jack-up rig, owned by Noble Corporation. The exploration prospect, named Amethyst, is situated in production license 1138, awarded on March 11, 2022, and valid until March 11, 2028.

As the operator of the license, Harbour Energy Norge holds a 40% ownership interest, with Sval Energi and Aker BP as partners with 30% each. The drilling will target well 15/9-25, situated at a water depth of approximately 84 meters. The consent includes an option for drilling sidetracks and well testing upon discovery.

The Noble Integrator is a Gusto MSC CJ70 X150 MD jack-up rig, constructed in 2014 at Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore. With a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 ft and the capability to work in water depths of 492 ft, the rig accommodates up to 150 people. Harbour Energy secured a one-well contract for the Noble Integrator in the summer of 2023, with an estimated duration of 35 days.

The approval from PSA follows the recent drilling permit granted by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) for the same well. The Noble Integrator rig has a history of collaboration with Aker BP, having been contracted under a frame agreement established in 2017. The renewal of the frame agreement was disclosed in December 2021, and the rig's services were further extended with Aker BP under drilling and wells alliance agreements in January 2023, involving Noble Corporation, Odfjell Drilling, and Halliburton for drilling activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).