Delmar picks up mooring contract for Development Driller III rig

Delmar Systems, a U.S. offshore mooring and subsea services company, has been awarded a mooring contract for the Development Driller III at ExxonMobil’s locations offshore Equatorial Guinea.

Development Driller III; Image by: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Kelley; Source: Wikimedia (this image is cropped)
Development Driller III; Image by: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Kelley; Source: Wikimedia (this image is cropped)

Delmar has said that it will provide engineering design services, project management, mooring equipment, and mooring installation services under the contract.

The Development Driller III is planned to be on an eight-point mooring system for the duration of the drilling campaign.

The ultra-deepwater semi-submersible Development Driller III was awarded a 180-day contract with ExxonMobil back in July 2018.

Following maintenance, reactivation and a contract preparation period, the floater is expected to start operations in the first quarter of 2019.

Josiah McVicar, Delmar senior project manager, said: “We look forward to continued success with both Transocean and ExxonMobil on this campaign through safely and efficiently completing all mooring operations to Delmar’s high standards. This award recognizes our long relationship with ExxonMobil and Transocean as well as our strong presence in the global MODU mooring market.”

Delmar’s project is expected to begin the first quarter of 2019 and the company will be the sole mooring services provider to Transocean for the Development Driller III campaign.

As for ExxonMobil’s operations in Equatorial Guinea, the company found oil in its EG-06 offshore block in December 2017.

Also, Exxon’s upstream affiliate in the country, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc. (MEGI), is the largest oil producer in the country. MEGI operates Block B, located offshore northwest of Bioko Island, in partnership with GEPetrol and Equatorial Guinea state.