Borr Drilling keeping busy as rigs head to new assignments

Offshore drilling contractor Borr Drilling is keeping its fleet busy as three of its rigs have recently started their new contracts and two more are expected to start operations in the last quarter of the year.

Borr Drilling on Friday confirmed the start of three previously announced contracts in Malaysia for the premium jack-up drilling rigs Gunnlod and Saga with PTTEP and Mist with Roc Oil.

The units started their work during September, in line with the original schedule.

To remind, Borr revealed that the Gunnlod and Saga rigs would be working for PTTEP back in August 2020.

As for the Mist jack-up rig, Borr said in August that Roc Oil had rescinded a notice of termination for the rig and replaced it with a suspension notice.

The rig was then scheduled to start its contract with Roc in Malaysia around September or October this year.

Borr added on Friday it would also start operations of another two premium jack-ups, the Prospector 1 and the Prospector 5, in the North Sea in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The Prospector 1 is the first rig in Borr’s fleet that has been fitted with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System which is expected to reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxide, carbon oxide and hydrocarbon by 90-95 per cent.

In addition, the system is fitted with filters that are expected to reduce particle matter emission by over 85 per cent.

“The introduction of this technology allows us to contribute to a lower emission society”, Borr Drilling said.

The Prospector 1 has been available and warm-stacked since April 2020 and will be working for an undisclosed client in the North Sea.

The Prospector 5 rig, which has also been warm-stacked since April 2020 following the completion of its gig with Neptune, is scheduled to work for CNOOC in the North Sea.

Patrick Schorn, CEO of Borr Drilling, said: “The commencement of operations of three rigs in Asia and two more to follow in the North Sea is an outstanding achievement, considering the current challenging environment and is a reflection of the professionalism and dedication of our teams”.

It is worth noting that another offshore driller, Maersk Drilling, said earlier this week it would equip one of its rigs with the SCR system ahead of its contract with Dana Petroleum in the Dutch North Sea.

The system is expected to reduce NOx emissions by up to 98 per cent, according to Maersk Drilling.,