Dolphin rig to drill HPHT well for Wellesley

Offshore drilling contractor Dolphin Drilling has secured a Letter of Intent with Wellesley Petroleum for the drilling of an HPHT exploration well on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Dolphin said on Tuesday that the High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT) well for Wellesley Petroleum is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2022. The rig owner will use the Borgland Dolphin semi-submersible rig for the HPTH well.

Bjørnar Iversen, chief executive of Dolphin Drilling, said: “We are pleased with the opportunity given and trust shown by Wellesley to continue our great relationship by drilling its next HPHT well.

“This agreement further builds our operational backlog in 2022 and is a result of Borgland Dolphin’s continuous delivery of safe and efficient performance, technical capacity and best-in-class motion characteristics for year-round drilling”.

Callum Smyth, Operations Manager at Wellesley Petroleum, said: “We were very encouraged in 2020 by the performance of the Borgland Dolphin rig and its excellent crew, and are therefore very keen to drill another well with this rig”.

Namely, Dolphin Drilling in February 2020 secured a one well plus one optional well contract with Wellesley Petroleum for drilling work on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Operations were scheduled to begin in August 2020.

About two months later, Dolphin secured a two-well contract with an option for two more wells with Wellesley. The first firm well work was scheduled to start in autumn, with the second planned for 2021.

The two optional wells were also planned for 2021 and Wellesley picked the Borgland Dolphin as its rig of choice for the Norwegian Continental Shelf work.

Smyth added: “Having the ability to drill this well with the Borgland Dolphin means we can offer our license partners a well at a sensible price. Wellesley has been one of the most active explorers in Norway during recent years and continues to generate high quality prospects that are ready to drill. We have had an excellent experience with our suppliers over the years and are very keen to use the Borgland Dolphin in 2022.

“Borgland is a mature and proven rig, continuing to deliver top quartile performance in our experience, and is a true partner for Wellesley.”