‘Songa Equinox’ kicks off its 8-year contract with Statoil

Songa Offshore’s first Cat D rig, Songa Equinox, has started drilling operations at the Troll Field, offshore Norway, under its eight-year drilling contract with Statoil. 

The rig is now on operating rate, Songa Offshore, an offshore drilling contractor, reported on Monday. The rig’s dayrate with Statoil is $484 000 and the contract has four additional three-year options.

Songa Offshore took delivery of the Songa Equinox from South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in June 2015, and it arrived in Norwegian waters in October 2015.

The rig obtained the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority’s acknowledgement of compliance (AoC) for drilling in the North Sea in November this year.

Songa Offshore’s CEO, Bjørnar Iversen, said: “The start of drilling operations for Songa Equinox is another milestone in the Cat D project. Our organization is looking forward to working collaboratively with Statoil over the next eight years.”

Songa Equinox is the first rig in a series of four Category D semi-submersible drilling rigs, specifically built for and contracted to Statoil. The second of four Cat D rigs, Songa Endurance, was delivered to Songa in August 2015 and, according to the latest information, it is still underway to Norway.

The fate of the remaining two rigs remains unknown as the drilling contractor and the South Korean yard are in still in a dispute over cost overruns during the construction of the first two rigs.

Offshore Energy Today Staff

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