Dolphin Drilling’s rig spins the drill bit in India as part of multi-well exploration ops

Norway-headquartered offshore drilling contractor Dolphin Drilling has kicked off its drilling assignment off the coast of India after one of its semi-submersible rigs returned to the Asian country for a new 14-month hydrocarbon exploration campaign.

The Blackford Dolphin semi-submersible rig left Nigerian waters on July 1, 2024, to move to Asia and embark on its new drilling campaign in India. The semi-sub departed from Port Louis, Mauritius on September 13, after the second scheduled stop on its 7,720-nautical-mile (nm) journey between Nigeria and the Andaman Islands, India.

Afterward, the rig was on the last leg of its journey to Port Blair to commence the three-well drilling program in India. This semi-sub, which has begun its long-term exploration drilling contract with Oil India, arrived in the country’s waters in October and completed customs clearance and client acceptance, based on the rig owner’s data.

Bjørnar Iversen, CEO of Dolphin Drilling, commented: “We are excited to announce the start of Blackford Dolphin’s operations in India. This contract not only signifies our return to the Indian market but also demonstrates our ability to secure long-term, profitable contracts in key growth markets.”

Dolphin Drilling has previously worked in Indian waters and has reinforced its local presence through a strategic partnership with Dynamic Drilling, an Indian offshore drilling contractor. The drilling activities in India are expected to take 14 months, bringing a firm value of $154 million for the rig and associated services.

The contract also comes with an optional period of seven months, which Oil India can use to prolong the rig’s stay. The 1974-built Blackford Dolphin is a semi-submersible drilling rig of an enhanced Aker H-3 design and can accommodate 120 people. 

Iversen added: “Blackford Dolphin has once again returned to India to commence a long-term drilling campaign, and our ambition is that the rig will stay in the region for the long term, not only due to the contract’s option period but also in line with India’s ambitious energy goals.

“This aligns well with India’s rapidly growing energy needs as the country aims to significantly increase its domestic production of hydrocarbons, reducing its dependency on imported energy and enhancing its energy security.”

The offshore drilling player expects to be positioned to demonstrate material improvement to its revenue generation capabilities since it is currently operating two semi-submersible rigs on long-term contracts. This encompasses the Blackford Dolphin’s job in India and the Paul B. Loyd, Jr. rig’s UK assignment with Harbour Energy, which is valid until February 2028.

Dolphin Drilling recently sent one of its rigs to Las Palmas for reactivation ahead of work in the UK while deciding to sell another for recycling.