‘Maersk Deliverer’ scoops second deal in two weeks

Danish offshore driller Maersk Drilling has won more work in Southeast Asia for its Maersk Deliverer semi-submersible drilling rig.

Maersk Drilling said on Tuesday that the semi-submersible Maersk Deliverer was awarded a contract in Southeast Asia by Total E&P Malaysia.

According to the company, the contract will cover drilling one exploration well in the DW-N Sabah block offshore Malaysia and will last for an estimated 60 days.

The exploration well is placed at a water depth of 2,835m, and the complexity of the well requires managed pressure drilling (MPD) as well as pressurized mud cap drilling (PMCD) capabilities.

Maersk Deliverer will go to work for Total E&P Malaysia after completing the contract with JX Nippon in Malaysia awarded last week. The well the rig will be drilling is located 160 km north-west of Kota Kinabalu at a water depth of 1,200m.

The contract with JX Nippon is expected to begin during the fourth quarter of 2017 and will have an estimated duration of 30 days.

Michael Reimer Mortensen, head of global sales in Maersk Drilling, said: “It is a great privilege to be able to once again serve Total E&P Malaysia and offer an efficient and safe drilling operation using our highly advanced deepwater semi-sub Maersk Deliverer. This is our third deepwater project for Total globally, and the contract further consolidates Maersk Drilling’s commitment to the region.”

Since April last year, Maersk Deliverer has been warm stacked in Namibia, following an early termination of its drilling contract with Chevron. The driller said that the reactivation of the rig has already started, and the main work scopes will be carried out during its voyage to Malaysia.

Maersk Deliverer is the fifth rig that Maersk Drilling has reactivated from warm stacking within the past eight months.