Det norske has entered into an agreement with Talisman Energy to acquire 10 per cent of the PL438 in the Barents Sea.
The licence contains the Skalle prospect, operated by Lundin Petroleum. Lundin will drill Skalle in June this year, using the Transocean Leader drilling rig.
The deal is set to strengthen Det norske's existing position in the Barents Sea.
Det norske’s CEO Erik Haugane commented: "We have faith in the Barents Sea as a future petroleum province and we will this summer participate in exploration wells both on Norvarg and now Skalle.
"In addition to possible 21st round awards, this agreement plays a role in creating a long term fundament for our Barents Sea engagement. The Barents Sea licences are operated from our Harstad office."
Det norske is the second-largest operating company on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) in terms of operatorships, exploration and drilling activity. Its exploration programme is the largest ever conducted by an independent Norwegian company on the NCS.
During 2011, Det norske expects to participate in over 10 drilling operations, either as a partner or operator.
The Trondheim-based company, which also has offices in Oslo, Harstad and Stavanger, currently employs a staff of around 200.
