International oil and gas exploration and production giant Statoil has reached an agreement to use Seadrill’s West Aquarius deepwater drilling rig for its 2012-2013 exploration activities offshore Newfoundland, Canada.
“We have ambitious exploration targets offshore Newfoundland, and securing rig capacity is essential for reaching those targets,” says Geir Richardsen, head of Exploration for Statoil in Canada .
Starting late 2012, Statoil will begin a three-well drilling program, offshore Newfoundland, including two exploration wells in the Flemish Pass Basin as well as an exploration well in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin.
“I am pleased that the company has acquired future rig capacity as exploration activity is a key component of Statoil’s ambitions to become a producing operator offshore Newfoundland,” says Kjell Magnus Myge, head of Procurement for Statoil in Canada.
The West Aquarius drilling rig is a GVA 7500 design, sixth generation semi-submersible DP3 unit built in by DSME in South Korea in 2009. The vessel can operate in harsh environments up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft) water depth. The rig has been taken on as an assignment from ExxonMobil Deepwater Rig Limited. West Aquarius has since 2009 worked mostly in South East Asia for oil majors such as ExxonMobil, BG and Petronas.
[mappress] Offshore Energy Today Staff, May 14, 2012