Norwegian oil company Statoil has signed a contract with North Atlantic Norway Ltd for use of the 6th generation West Hercules rig.
The West Hercules semi-submersible rig has been contracted for drilling two exploration wells in the Barents Sea in 2018, and options to drill another five exploration wells, the Norwegian oil company informed on Thursday.
The total estimated contract value is $15-20 million for the two permanent wells.
Mobilization and demobilization are included in the amount, but remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and other services will be charged extra. Planned drilling start is late in the summer of 2018.
Geir Tungesvik , head of Drilling and Well in Statoil, said: “We have chosen this rig because it is winterized and ready for use in cold waters. We have used this rig before, both in the norther part of the Norwegian continental shelf and in Canada.”
West Hercules is an ultra-deepwater harsh environment semi-submersible drilling rig built in 2008 by South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).
The West Hercules rig was last year hired by Siccar Point Energy for operations offshore the UK. The contract with Siccar Point will start on April 1, 2018, when Siccar Point Energy will drill and test an appraisal well on the Cambo discovery with the data being used to refine the development project requirements. The end date is set for June 2018.
Offshore Energy Today Staff