Danish offshore driller Maersk Drilling has been awarded a contract for the jack-up Maersk Resolve by Wintershall. The rig has been warm-stacked since the end of 2016.
The one-well contract will have a duration of approximately 86 days, with further options included, Maersk Drilling reported on Wednesday.
Michael Reimer Mortensen , Vice President and Head of Global Sales in Maersk Drilling, said: “With the new contract secured for Maersk Resolve, we are strengthening our presence in the North Sea even further.
“This is a key market for us, and we look forward to working closely together with Wintershall Noordzee to deliver a safe and efficient drilling operation.”
The driller stated that the work scope covers the drilling and potential testing of the Winchelsea II well offshore the UK, and the 86-day contract is expected to start in late June. The Maersk Resolve is currently preparing for the upcoming operation, following a period of warm-stacking in Esbjerg Harbour, Denmark, where it arrived last December.
“Maersk Resolve will be the fourth rig that Maersk Drilling brings back into operation following a period of warm-stacking, and it is gratifying to see that we are able to safely and efficiently execute the start-up phases, in close dialogue with our customers,” says Mortensen.
Maersk Resolve was built in 2009 and designed for year-round operation in harsh environments and in water depths of up to 350ft. The rig is HPHT capable and prepared for Managed Pressure Drilling technology.