Aker BP cleared to dispatch Saipem rig for drilling ops in North Sea

Norwegian oil and gas company Aker BP has received consent from Norway’s offshore safety regulator to use one of Saipem’s rigs for operations on a field located in the North Sea off Norway.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) recently revealed that it had given Aker BP consent to use the Scarabeo 8 semi-submersible rig for production drilling on the Hanz field, located in production license 028 B, which was awarded on 15 December 1999 and is valid until 31 December 2036.

Aker BP is the operator of the license with an ownership interest of 35 per cent, while its partners, Equinor and Sval Energi, hold the remaining 50 and 15 per cent interest, respectively. Hanz is an oil and gas discovery in the North Sea that will be tied into the Ivar Aasen platform about twelve kilometres further south.

The Ivar Aasen field is located on Utsira High in the northern part of the North Sea, around 175 km west of Karmøy. The first oil was produced on 24 December 2016. This field receives power from shore, thereby minimising CO2 emissions.

Scarabeo 8 is a sixth-generation semi-submersible rig capable of working in harsh environments with a dynamic positioning system and enhanced mooring capabilities. The rig can accommodate 140 people and its maximum drilling depth is 35,000 ft. It was hired on a three-year deal, worth $325 million, in March 2022.