Norwegian firm all set to deploy Odfjell Drilling rig for hydrocarbon exploration in North Sea

Norwegian oil and gas player Aker BP has received the all-clear from the country’s authorities to use one of Odfjell Drilling’s semi-submersible rigs for operations in the North Sea.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) has granted Aker BP a drilling permit for wellbore 35/6-5 S in production license 1110, which was awarded on February 19, 2021, and is valid until February 19, 2029. In addition, the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority Norway (Havtil) greenlighted the drilling of an exploration well in block 35/6.

Aker BP has an ownership interest of 55% and acts as the operator, while its license partners are Vår Energi (30%) and Wintershall Dea Norge (15%). The water depth at the location is around 332 meters.

The drilling of the Njargasas, 35/6-5, well will be undertaken this month with the 2009-built Deepsea Nordkapp, a former Stena Midmax, semi-submersible drilling rig, which Odfjell Drilling bought from Samsung Heavy in April 2018.

This is a sixth-generation dynamically positioned harsh environment and winterized semi-submersible of a Moss-enhanced CS 60E design. The rig owner was one of the three contractors that entered into drilling and wells alliance agreements in January 2023 with Aker BP for work on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

Thanks to this, the Deepsea Nordkapp rig was contracted to the end of 2024 with an option to extend the contract further. The two players agreed to prolong the rig’s work in December 2023 for two years.

Aker BP recently placed a new jacket in the North Sea with Heerema Marine Contractors’ semi-submersible crane vessel. This jacket is part of the firm’s oil field life extension project, which aims to extend the life of a field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) for another 40 years.