UK-headquartered energy giant Shell has booked a semi-submersible rig, owned by Northern Ocean (NOL) and managed by Odfjell Drilling, for drilling activities off the coast of Namibia, Africa.
While revealing a new contract award for the Deepsea Mira rig, Northern Ocean highlights that the new assignment is with a subsidiary of Shell.
The rig is expected to begin this drilling job offshore Namibia in April 2026. The contract covers one firm well and includes one optional well.
With an estimated duration of 45 days for the firm, the deal has a projected firm backlog of approximately $16 million, increasing NOL’s firm backlog to around $387 million.
The Odfjell Drilling-managed Deepsea Mira rig is a sixth-generation enhanced and extended CS 60 E harsh environment design semi-submersible.
The mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) was delivered by Hyundai Heavy for work in water depths of up to 3,000 meters.
The rig has a history of working in Namibia, including assignments with TotalEnergies and Rhino Resources , which recently extended the unit’s job.