Minimum requirements for kick tolerance (KT) in Maersk Oil corporate standards drove implementation of analysis using a dispersed model instead of a single-bubble model to achieve more realistic KT values for a planned high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) exploration well with oil-based drilling fluids. The large uncertainty bands of predicted pore and fracture pressures in an HPHT exploration well offshore Norway had driven the casing design, which had very narrow margins and little flexibility in setting depths for the casing strings. KT analysis using a single-bubble model indicated allowable kick volumes of less than the required 50bbl minimum. To comply fully with the 50bbl KT, additional casing strings would be required, with several liners and/or unconventional casing sizes, adding further complexity, cost, and risk to the well and the operations. The development of a well control bridging document, including HPHT procedures, competency assurance of the crew, and use of real-time pore pressure prediction service was considered inadequate to fully manage the associated well control risk. The benefit of accepting the less than 50bbl KT would be to enable drilling of the HPHT exploration well with the planned five-string casing design, which was already more robust than in most of the offset wells, which utilized a four-string design. With the five-casing-string approach, there is little room for a contingency casing/liner string without possible compromise of some of the well objectives. An internal dispensation process was initiated due to the noncompliance with Maersk Oil corporate standards. To secure dispensation from such corporate standards, transient drilling modeling software was used to calculate updated KT on the basis of the dispersed kick (gas) model. In addition, a plan was put in place to update the well model and recalculate KT using real-time well information. This case history presents the story of KT analysis of the subject well, including transient drilling modeling to investigate the sensitivity of input parameters. Furthermore, a description of the software's use to assure safe drilling operations is discussed. Lessons learnt from use of this software during planning and well construction will also be discussed.