Drilling & Completion News
Maersk Drilling nets contract extension from Equinor
Equinor exercised an option to add additional well intervention work to the previously agreed work scope for Maersk Drilling’s low-emission jackup Maersk Intrepid at the Martin Linge field offshore Norway. The added work scope has a firm duration of 31 days, which means that the rig is now contracted until February 2022. The firm value of the extension is approximately $10.5 million, including integrated services but excluding potential performance bonuses.
The contract extension was entered under a master framework agreement in which the companies have committed to collaborate on technology advancements and other initiatives to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The contract with Equinor contains a performance bonus scheme based on reduced CO2 and NOx emissions.
Transocean boosts backlog to $7.3 billion with new deals
In a fleet status report released 21 July, Transocean revealed new contracts for five drillships and four semisubmersibles.
Among these deals was a one-well option with BHP Billiton for the Deepwater Invictus drillship in the US Gulf of Mexico. The option extends the rig’s contract to January 2022 and increases the dayrate to $260,000. TotalEnergies also exercised a 370-day option for the Deepwater Skyros drillship in Angola at a $195,000 dayrate; that rig’s contract is set to end in December 2022. The Transocean Norge semisubmersible netted a four-well contract, plus five one-well options, with ConocoPhillips for work offshore Norway at a $280,000 dayrate. And Equinor exercised two one-well options in Norway for the Transocean Spitsbergen semi. The options will last to September 2022 at a $290,000 dayrate.
Talos achieves first production from Tornado Attic well
Following successful drilling of the Tornado Attic well in June, Talos Energy executed completion operations and achieved first production from the well in mid-July.
Located in the Green Canyon region of the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM), the well is currently producing above the previously estimated 8,000-10,000 BOE/day range. Talos said in a statement that it had increased injection rates in the structurally downdip Tornado injector well and is now injecting water at a rate of over 30,000 bbl/day into the producing B-6 formation.
Talos holds a 65% working interest along with partner Kosmos Energy.
Hess announces discovery at Whiptail offshore Guyana
Hess made a significant oil discovery on the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana at Whiptail. The Whiptail-1 well encountered 246 ft of net pay in high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. The well is being drilled in 5,889 ft of water by Stena Drilling‘s Stena DrillMAX drillship.
Drilling is also ongoing at the Whiptail-2 well, which is located 3 miles northeast of Whiptail-1 and has encountered 167 ft of net pay in high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. Whiptail-2 is currently being drilled in 6,217 ft of water by Noble Corp‘s Noble Don Taylor drillship.
Drilling is ongoing at both wells to test deeper targets, and results will be evaluated for future development.
APA hits net pay at Sapakara South-1 offshore Suriname
APA Corp announced drilling success and updated the status of its appraisal program offshore Suriname in Block 58.
Sapakara South-1, an appraisal well located on the eastern edge of the Sapakara area, encountered approximately 98 ft of net black oil pay in a single zone of high-quality Campano-Maastrichtian reservoir. Maersk Drilling’s Maersk Valiant drillship, which drilled the appraisal well, will move to the next exploration prospect at Bonboni, approximately 45 km to the north of Sapakara South-1, before returning later in the year to flow test Sapakara South-1.
Valaris secures new work with aramco, Woodside
On 7 July, Valaris announced that it has been awarded a 183-day extension to its contract with Aramco for Valaris JU-140, a standard-duty modern jackup. The extension is in direct continuation of the existing contract. As a result, the Valaris JU-140 is now expected to be under contract through the end of 2021.
This was followed a week later by the announcement of a 16-well contract with Woodside offshore Australia for the VALARIS DPS-1 semisubmersible. The contract is expected to commence late in Q1 or early Q2 of 2022, with an estimated duration of 300 days. DC
