Songa Equinox rig in Norway preparing for Statoil contract

Songa Offshore, an offshore drilling contractor, informed on Wednesday that the Songa Equinox rig had arrived in Norwegian waters on October 22, 2015.

Songa Equinox is the first rig in a series of four Category D rigs specifically built for and contracted to Statoil. The rig will start its eight-year drilling contract with Statoil by working on the Troll Field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

According to Songa’s latest fleet status report, the rig is currently preparing for the Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) and the client’s Acceptance Test Plan (ATP).

Songa Offshore took delivery of Songa Equinox from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Enggineering (DSME) in South Korea on June 30, 2015.

Songa Equinox is a sixth generation, high specification, harsh environment, midwater rig designed for year around drilling, completion, testing and intervention operations in water depths up to 500 meters.

In addition, Songa Offshore’s second Cat D rig, the Songa Endurance, that was delivered on August 24, 2015, is en route from Korea to Norway and is currently transiting between Walvis Bay, Namibia, and Las Palmas.

To remind, Statoil on Monday cancelled the drilling contract for one of Songa Offshore’s semi-subs, Songa Trym, four months before its expiration on March 4, 2016. The contract was abolished due to failure to find more work for the rig.

Offshore Energy Today Staff