Consent for Neptune Energy to use Deepsea Yantai rig in North Sea

Oil and gas company Neptune Energy has received consent from Norwegian offshore safety body, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), for exploration drilling of two wells in the North Sea using the Deepsea Yantai drilling rig.

The wells, designated 35/9-15 (appraisal well) and 35/9-15A (sidetrack), belong to production license 153 in blocks 35/9 and 36/7.

Neptune Energy is the operator of the license and holds a 30 percent ownership interest. The remaining partners are Petoro with 30 percent, Wintershall with 28 percent, and OKEA holds the remaining 12 percent.

The location where the wells will be drilled is in the northern North Sea, adjoining the Gjøa field in a water depth of 363 meters.

The PSA said on Friday that the drilling was scheduled to begin in December 2019 and was estimated to last for at least 56 days.

As for the rig, the Deepsea Yantai is a semi-submersible drilling rig owned by Odfjell Drilling. The rig was built at the CIMC Raffles yard in China and was completed in 2016.

It is worth reminding, Neptune Energy hired the Deepsea Yantai, formerly named Beacon Atlantic, for up to 16 wells offshore Norway back in March 2019.

Later that month, Odfjell Drilling said it would employ more than 200 personnel in Norway for work on the Deepsea Nordkapp and Deepsea Yantai semi-submersibles, which joined the company’s fleet.