2017-built jack-up rig lines up multi-well drilling gig in West Asia

January 30, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Texas-headquartered Northern Offshore, a builder and operator of jack-up rigs, has secured a new assignment for a nine-year-old jack-up rig off the coast of Oman, West Asia.

Energy Emerger jack-up rig; Source: Northern Offshore

Rex International’s indirect subsidiary, Masirah Oil Limited (MOL), has revealed that its parent company, Rex Oman, has signed a multi-well drilling contract for the 2017-built Energy Emerger jack-up drilling rig, operated by Northern Offshore Drilling Operations.

The rig will be used by Masirah to perform drilling of three development wells at the Yumna field in Block 50 offshore Oman. MOL, which is an indirect 87.5% subsidiary of Jasmine Energy Limited (JEL), is the operator and holds a 100% interest in the block.

Mike Hopkinson, General Manager of MOL, commented: “With funding and the rig now in place, we are focused on executing this drilling programme seamlessly to drill new producer wells to increase oil flow rates and extend the lifespan of the Yumna Field in Block 50 Oman.”

The jack-up, which was also used in the company’s 2024 drilling campaign, is expected to start the new drilling job in March 2026. Block 50 is an approximately 17,000 square-kilometer offshore concession in the Gulf of Masirah, east of Oman.

The first oil was achieved in February 2020, while the approval of the field development plan for the Yumna field and declaration of commerciality (DOC) were obtained in July 2020.