Offshore rig operator Maersk Drilling has secured a 19-month P&A contract through a rig sharing agreement between TotalEnergies and Petrogas in the Dutch North Sea.
Maersk Drilling reported on Monday it has been awarded contracts that will see the harsh environment jack-up rig Maersk Resolute employed to plug and abandon a total of 31 wells in the Dutch sector of the North Sea in support of a rig sharing agreement between TotalEnergies EP Nederland and Petrogas E&P Netherlands.
The contracts are expected to start in Q2/Q3 2022, in direct continuation of the rig’s current contract, and will include the plugging and abandonment of 11 wells with TotalEnergies and 20 wells with Petrogas.
The estimated duration is 575 days, and the total firm contract value is approximately $43 million, excluding potential performance bonuses. The contracts include options to add additional work scopes with a total estimated duration of 228 days.
Morten Kelstrup , COO of Maersk Drilling, said: “We’re pleased to secure this long-term commitment for Maersk Resolute to continue operating in the Netherlands. By deploying the rig for a combined 31-well campaign we will be able to ensure a consistent focus on efficiency improvements from well to well, while simultaneously operating with the respect for the continued sustainability of the marine environment that is a key component in successful plugging and abandonment operations.”
Maersk Resolute is a 350ft, Gusto-engineered MSC CJ50 high-efficiency jack-up rig that was delivered in 2008. It is currently operating offshore the Netherlands. According to the rig owner’s fleet status from February, the rig has been under contract with ONE-Dyas since December 2021 and the end date is set for April 2022. The contract, which also included a one-well option, was awarded in November last year.