Karoon adds more wells to Maersk rig backlog

Oil and gas company Karoon Energy has exercised an option to add the drilling of two development wells at the Patola field offshore Brazil to the work scope of the Maersk Drilling-owned semi-submersible rig Maersk Developer.

The work is expected to start in the second half of 2022, in direct continuation of the rig’s previously agreed work scope with Karoon Energy. The contract extension has a firm duration of 120 days, with a contract value of approximately $27 million, Maersk Drilling informed on Thursday.

Thomas Lysgaard Falk, Head of International Division, Maersk Drilling, said: “We’re delighted to add this additional work scope for Maersk Developer which shores up the rig’s drilling programme for 2022. We’re looking forward to establishing a strong and integrated teamwork focused on reaching the common objectives in our campaign with Karoon in support of their first new development project as a production company.

“The first item on the agenda is the safe and efficient workover of four wells at Baúna before Maersk Developer will move on to drill at Patola”.

Namely, the Maersk Developer was initially hired by Karoon back in April 2021 for well intervention on four wells at the Baúna field. This contract is expected to start in the first half of 2022.

Now, following Karoon’s final investment decision for the Patola project, which is adjacent to the producing Baúna field, Karoon added the two-well workscope to the rig’s backlog.

The Patola development comprises two near-vertical subsea production wells, which will be drilled and completed using the Maersk Developer rig immediately following the completion of the Baúna program.

Patola is expected to produce at an initial rate of more than 10,000 bopd from high-quality reservoirs of the same geological age as those in the adjacent Baúna and Piracaba fields. First oil production is targeted for the first quarter of the calendar year 2023.

Karoon Energy’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Dr Julian Fowles, commented: “The Patola development will add materially to our production base and the Final Investment Decision made today represents a key milestone for Karoon in Brazil”.

Maersk Developer is a DSS-21 column-stabilised dynamically positioned semi-submersible rig, able to operate in water depths up to 10,000 ft. It was delivered in 2009 and is currently operating offshore Suriname.