Offshore driller hires RigNet for comms at Mariner field

RigNet, a provider of communications solutions for the offshore oil and gas industry, has been awarded a multi-million dollar remote communications contract with an offshore drilling contractor currently working on the Mariner field in the UK North Sea.

RigNet said on Tuesday that the contract includes services for a newbuild ultra-high specification jack-up rig on contract with an international energy company.

Although RigNet left the customer and rig undisclosed, it is no secret that the newbuild jack-up hired for work at the Mariner fied is Noble Corporation’s Noble Lloyd Noble. The rig is under a four-year charter contract with Norwegian oil company Statoil since mid-October with a dayrate of $447,000.

Noble Lloyd Noble, is the seventh ultra high specification, harsh environment jack-up rig completed for Noble Corporation. It is based on the GustoMSC CJ70 design as well as Statoil’s ‘Category J’ specifications.

The rig has an operational air gap of 69 meters and is capable of operating in a water depth of up to 150 meters (492 feet) in harsh environmental conditions. It boasts a maximum total drilling depth capacity of 10,000 meters (approximately 33,000 feet).

Commenting on the contract Steven Pickett, RigNet’s CEO and president, said: “We are pleased to collaborate with this industry-leading company for their operations on this highly sophisticated jack-up rig. RigNet looks forward to contributing to the success of the Mariner project by providing our world-class service and technology solutions onboard the asset.”

The Statoil-operated Mariner Field is located on the East Shetland Platform of the UK North Sea, approximately 150 kilometers east of the Shetland Isles. The field will provide a long-term cash-flow over a 30-year field life. Production is expected to commence in 2018.

As for the RigNet contract, the company added that the jack-up would be equipped with latest VSAT and network technology for operating in the North Sea’s harsh environment. These services will be managed by RigNet’s Global Network Operation Center (GNOC) for technical support, which will include installation, commission, monitoring, and maintenance.

Offshore Energy Today Staff