Equinor awards well intervention gig to Maersk rig

Norway’s Equinor has exercised an option to add well intervention work at the Martin Linge field offshore Norway to the previously agreed work scope for the ultra-harsh environment jack-up rig Maersk Intrepid.

The rig owner said on Thursday that the well intervention scope has an estimated duration of 29 days. The firm value of the contract extension is approximately $9.9 million, including integrated services but excluding potential performance bonuses.

The contract extension is entered under the Master Framework Agreement between Equinor and Maersk Drilling, in which the parties have committed to collaborate on technology advancements and further initiatives to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

The contract with Equinor Energy contains a performance bonus scheme based on rewarding reduced CO2 and NOx emissions.

Maersk Intrepid is an ultra-harsh environment CJ70 jack-up rig, designed for year-round operations in the North Sea and featuring hybrid, low-emission upgrades. It was delivered in 2014 and is currently operating at Martin Linge for Equinor.

As the first of Maersk Drilling’s units to be upgraded to a hybrid, low-emission rig, Maersk Intrepid in late 2020 produced an initial data point of reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions during drilling operations by approximately 25 per cent, compared to the baseline average for the rig, while NOx emissions were reduced by approximately 95 per cent.

Also this week, Equinor awarded a drilling contract to Odfjell Drilling for the use of the sixth-generation semi-submersible rig Deepsea Stavanger, making it the third rig from Odfjell Drilling’s fleet to join Equinor.

Equinor said that, while it is a short-term commitment, the objective is to achieve a more long-term programme for this Odfjell rig as well.