Equinor Lets Norwegian Continental Shelf Rig Contract

Wedoany.com Report-Nov 19,  Equinor Energy AS has let a 2-year firm contract to Northern Ocean Wind AS for use of the Deepsea Bollsta mobile rig on the Norwegian continental shelf.

The contract is part of the operator's aim to maintain production from the Norwegian continental shelf at a high level towards 2035, said Kjetil Hove, executive vice-president for exploration and production Norway, in a release Nov. 18.

The harsh environment, winterized Deepsea Bollsta will be operated by Odfjell Drilling, which currently operate Deepsea Aberdeen, Deepsea Atlantic, and Deepsea Stavanger for Equinor. 

Equinor plans to deliver 50-70 increased recovery wells and 20-30 exploration wells annually on the Norwegian continental shelf. 

Currently, the rig is in Africa and has been drilling in Namibia but has previous track-record for operations in Norway. 

The contract value for the firm period is about $335 million, with planned start-up in the later part of 2025. The contract also includes five 1-year options.

Northern Ocean Wind is owned by Northern Ocean Ltd.