Maersk drillship lands new gig in South Korea

Offshore drilling contractor Maersk Drilling has secured a contract from Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) for the drillship Maersk Viking to drill one exploration well in Block 6-1 offshore South Korea.

The rig owner said on Monday that the contract is expected to start in June 2021, in direct continuation of the rig’s previous work scope.

The contract has an estimated duration of 45 days.

The contract value is approximately $14.5 million, including mobilisation and demobilisation fees.

Morten Kelstrup, COO of Maersk Drilling, said: “We’re pleased to be awarded this contract with a new customer in the form of KNOC for their first-ever drillship operation and are confident in our ability to quickly start up operations in Korean jurisdiction after Maersk Viking moves on from its previous job.

“The rig and its crew have shown an impressive ability to always deliver safe and efficient operations, even during this challenging period marked by a global pandemic”.

Maersk Viking is a high-spec ultra-deepwater drillship, which was delivered in 2013.

It is currently mobilising for a campaign in Brunei Darussalam after completing a job in the Bay of Bengal in 2020.

Maersk Drilling was awarded the contract for operations in Brunei Darussalam by Shell back in November 2020. The contract is expected to start in March 2021, with an estimated duration of 35 days.

The contract also included an additional one-well option.

Only days later after the initial award, the rig owner also secured a one-well contract extension for the Maersk Viking drillship with Shell in Brunei.

The contract extension has an estimated duration of 35 days, with work expected to start in May 2021.