Talos contracts Transocean drillship for US Gulf of Mexico program
Talos Energy has contracted the Transocean Discoverer Inspiration, an ultra-deepwater dual-activity drillship, for its 2020 deepwater drilling and completions program in the US Gulf of Mexico. The Discoverer Inspiration rig will assist with the Bulleit completion and tieback project, development activity in the Phoenix complex, and potentially one or more “high-impact” exploration drilling projects currently under evaluation.
Talos said the terms of its contract with Transocean provides for its use on many as three wells with a total minimum of 120 days, and it includes options to extend the contract for up to three additional wells with minimums of 40 days per instance.
The contract is expected to begin in Q2 2020.
The Transocean deal was one of several updates Talos provided on its operations in the Gulf. The company also contracted the Helmerich & Payne 100 platform drilling rig for near-field development and exploration drilling opportunities surrounding its Green Canyon 18 facility, with the option of future work at the Pompano and Amberjack facilities. Talos said the platform rig will allow for a shortened turnaround from drilling to first production through the utilization of dry trees on fixed deepwater facilities. The contract is evergreen with a rolling 90-day term.
In another update, Talos said the BP-operated Puma West exploration well, of which it holds a 25% working interest, was temporarily suspended after setting casing below salt and reaching a true vertical depth of approximately 21,500 ft. The top and base of salt were encountered in close proximity to pre-drill depth expectations.
Plans are being developed to return to Puma West later this year with a slightly modified casing design to continue drilling the well. Talos said that, as a result of the drilling activity completed thus far, the lease term has been extended for an additional three years, through October 2022.
