New Age takes Vantage rig for Cameroon job

Houston-based offshore drilling contractor Vantage Drilling has entered into a contract with New Age Cameroon Offshore Petroleum S.A. (New Age) for its jack-up rig Topaz Driller to perform drilling services in Cameroon.

Vantage said in a statement on Wednesday that the rig would be performing these services for New Age for 150 days.

Ihab Toma, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are very pleased to announce this contract with New Age for the Topaz Driller in Cameroon. This contract will enable us to have two of our premium jack-up rigs operating in West Africa after we mobilize the Topaz Driller from Asia to Cameroon.”

The Topaz Driller last year worked for Ophir Energy in Thailand and for Petronas Carigali in Indonesia. The contract with Petronas started in the second half of 3Q 2017 with end date in 1Q 2018.

The Topaz Driller is a cantilever jack-up rig of BMC 375 design. It was built in 2009 by PPL Shipyard in Singapore.

Bowleven, New Age’s partner in the Etinde asset in Cameroon said the rig would be used for drilling appraisal wells on the Etinde license.

“Planning for the delivery of the appraisal wells is ongoing and the Company currently expects the well IM-6 spud during Q2 2018,” Bowleven said on Thursday afternoon.

The Topaz Driller is currently in South East Asian waters and will transit to Singapore before mobilizing to Cameroon.

Offshore Energy Today Staff