Noble taps Blue Water to support its rig ops in Suriname

Blue Water Suriname, part of the Denmark-headquartered transport and logistics solutions provider Blue Water Shipping, has been hired on a logistics contract in Suriname by Noble Corporation, an offshore drilling giant.  

The deal with Noble, which covers customs brokerage, local logistics services, domestic transport, and personnel services for the Noble Voyager drillship, will enable Blue Water to support the offshore drilling player’s operations in Suriname.

The drillship started an exploration campaign north of Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital city, in February 2024, after it won a one-well contract, plus one option well, with Petronas. This deal has an estimated firm duration of 130 days excluding the extension option.

Gerson Sporkslede, General Manager of the recently opened branch of Blue Water Suriname, commented: “We are thrilled to partner with Noble Drilling in this exciting project, which has the potential to unlock significant hydrocarbon resources in Suriname. 

“This contract is a great achievement for our team and a reflection of the hard work and dedication here and from other Blue Water offices in support. We are proud to serve our clients with excellence and look forward to the successful execution of this contract.” 

Blue Water set up shop in Paramaribo by opening an office to further increase its service to the oil and energy sector in the Caribbean. With knowledge of the local conditions and legislation, the company claims that its team provides bespoke freight and logistics solutions, alongside personnel logistics, visa and immigration, procurement, and trucking services.

The Noble Voyager Samsung 96K drillship can accommodate 230 people. This rig can operate in water depths of up to 12,000 ft and its maximum drilling depth is 40,000 ft. Following its 3Q 2023 earnings, Noble won new contracts for its rig fleet with a total contract value of approximately $530 million, including mobilization payments. 

The company is determined to curb the carbon footprint of its drilling operations, thus, it is using many different tools to achieve this goal, including sustainable diesel, which the rig owner employs in its fuel mix for drilling operations in Dutch waters.