Jack-up Maersk Guardian back on the water with new 5-year deal

Maersk Drilling has been awarded a contract with Maersk Oil for the jack-up rig Maersk Guardian for accommodation on various fields in the Danish part of the North Sea.

According to Maersk Drilling, the firm contract duration is 5 years with a start date in September 2016. The contract includes two 1-year options. The estimated contract value for the firm contract period is $142 million, the drilling contractor said on Monday.

“We are pleased that we will get Maersk Guardian back on the water. In this market, it is important to seek out new ideas in order to keep our rigs employed. An accommodation contract like this is a good example of that and it adds to our contract backlog,” says Morten Pilnov, Head of Global Sales in Maersk Drilling.

The company also said that the Maersk Guardian was currently stacked in Frederikshavn where it would be located throughout the refurbishment period, until the new contract starts.

The work entails decommissioning of the cantilever including drilling package, overhaul of auxiliary systems to support accommodation units, overhaul of existing accommodation block on the rig and installation of new accommodation modules.

Built in 1986 in Japan, the Maersk Guardian is designed for year-round operation in the North Sea with a leg length of 132 meters.