Norwegian oil company Statoil has terminated a contract for the Stena Drilling-owned semi-submersible rig Stena Don earlier than expected thus bringing into question around 180 jobs.
According to a statement on Monday by the Norwegian offshore workers’ union, Safe, the contract for the Stena Don rig, operating on the Troll field off Norway since February 7, 2014, has been terminated and the rig will be available in November. The contract was originally supposed to expire in February 2017.
Stig-Rune Refvik , the head of Safe in Stena Drilling said the union was informed that the company does not have a drilling program available for the rig after the curent drilling operations end in early or mid-November. It is therefore likely that the rig will have to go into circulation in anticipation of the new contract.
Refvik noted that 180 employees will be affected by the contract termination and expressed hope that the the rig owner will keep the rig ‘warm’ and ready for new assignments off Norway.
He also said it was too early to say what is going to happen, but the union hopes an arrangement will be made to keep the workers in the company.
Stena Don is a Sonat/Hitachi-designed, harsh environment dynamically positioned Class 3 semi-submersible drilling built in 2001. The rig received PSA’s Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) in March 2002.
Offshore Energy Today Staff