Noble rig instrumental to Petrogas’ gas extraction ‘milestone’ in Dutch waters

Petrogas E&P Netherlands, a subsidiary of Oman-based Petrogas E&P, has tucked a new natural gas extraction achievement under its belt off the coast of the Netherlands, thanks to drilling operations undertaken with one of Noble Corporation’s harsh environment jack-up rigs.

Petrogas has confirmed the successful completion of a sidetrack well at the A12 central process platform (CPP), where the firm re-used an existing non-producing well to target infill sand. The company claims this achievement highlights its commitment to innovation and efficiency in natural gas extraction.

Petrogas emphasized: “Kudos to our dedicated project team and Noble Corporation for their expertise and hard work in overcoming challenges to ensure the project’s success. This milestone further strengthens Petrogas’ position as a leader in providing domestic gas for the Dutch economy.”

The new well, said to have been drilled using advanced techniques, is expected to enhance production and contribute significantly to future growth. Petrogas’ Dutch portfolio consists of A/B gas fields and P/Q oil fields. The company operates both, but the list of its partners differs.

While TAQA Offshore, Dyas, Dana and Oranje Nassau Energie Nederland are the firm’s partners in the gas fields, Aceiro Energy, Dyas, Wintershall, and TAQA Offshore are the company’s partners in the oil fields.

Petrogas began production from the B10 platform last year in the Dutch sector of the North Sea, which forms part of Stage 2+ project, encompassing the A15 field that achieved its first production in February 2024.

The Noble Resolute harsh environment jack-up rig is currently working for Petrogas in the Netherlands. The deal is expected to be over in May 2025, however, there is also a 40-day priced option.

With a maximum drilling depth of 30,000 ft (9.14 kilometers), the 2009-built Noble Resolute is a 350 ft (0.11 kilometers), Gusto-engineered MSC CJ50 high-efficiency jack-up rig.

The unit was hired to drill three wells for Petrogas at the A15 field and two wells at the B10 field offshore the Netherlands. All three wells are online, and the rig’s contract was extended in February 2024.

Noble claims the rig has been operating with a fuel load containing 20% sustainable diesel (HVO) since November 2023 to reduce CO2 emissions from drilling operations.

Another Noble rig, Noble Resilient, is working for the company in the United Kingdom. This assignment is slated to end in March 2025. Petrogas made a gas discovery in the North Sea with this rig in November 2024.