Dolphin Drilling rig weeks away from kicking off its gig off Nigeria

Offshore drilling contractor Dolphin Drilling has completed a five-year recertification of a semi-submersible rig, which is now ready to start its assignment offshore Nigeria in a few weeks.

Dolphin Drilling reported on Monday, 30 January 2023, that the Blackford Dolphin rig had completed its recertification for a new five-year period in Las Palmas, Spain, where it was moored quayside after it arrived on 24 November 2022. The rig underwent a special periodic survey (SPS) at the shipyard in Las Palmas, allowing for continuous work until 2028.

The company explained that the maintenance and class work was conducted in close dialogue with flag state, class, yard, key equipment vendors, and sub-contractors. According to the offshore drilling contractor, the rig will now be towed to Nigeria, as it is ready to start its 12-month drilling contract with General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL) soon.

As a reminder, Dolphin Drilling announced the formal 12-month contract award in October 2022, following a letter of award (LoA) for the Blackford Dolphin semi-sub rig from September 2022 for operations in Nigeria. At the time, the firm explained that the total contract value was approximately $96 million.

At the start of January, the rig owner revealed a letter of award for additional work in Nigeria in direct continuation with the previously announced contract with GHL, which contains the potential to extend the backlog by a minimum of 120 days and up to 485 days, in addition to the existing GHL backlog.

The rig is expected to begin its 12-month drilling contract with General Hydrocarbons Limited in early March 2023. The 1974-built Blackford Dolphin is a semi-submersible drilling rig of an Enhanced Aker H-3 design. It can accommodate 120 people.