Norwegian offshore drilling company Odfjell Drilling has received a letter of intent for further employment of its semi-submersible drilling rig Deepsea Bergen for one firm high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) well off Norway.
Odfjell Drilling said on Wednesday that the deal was with an undisclosed client and in addition to one firm well it has options for two additional HPHT wells on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).
The contract should begin in the first quarter of 2018 and will have an expected duration of approximately 100 days, excluding options.
The rig is currently operating for the Norwegian oil company Statoil, which hired the rig back in 2011 and chose to exercise its option for a five plus one-year contract in mid-2012. This was the maximum contract duration that the company could exercise. Under the contract, the Deepsea Bergen will work for Statoil on the NCS until mid-July 2017.
Last Friday, the rig was involved in a gas leak incident on the Statoil-operated Åsgard field during the preparation for well operation.
Further, in December last year, Odfjell Drilling announced a new one well contract for the rig with Faroe Petroleum, back to back with the Statoil contract.
Deepsea Bergen is a 3rd generation semi-submersible drilling rig of an Aker H-3.2 design. It was built in 1983 by Aker Norway.
Offshore Energy Today Staff