Rig ‘Island Innovator’ to Join Odfjell Drilling’s Norwegian Fleet

Odfjell Drilling announced that the new rig will join its Norwegian fleet.

“The operation of Island Innovator will be an important contribution to Odfjell Drilling’s activity on the Norwegian continental shelf. The contract between the owner Maracc and Lundin Norway AS will mean greater predictability for Odfjell Drilling and our operations in Norway. We will need around 170 employees to operate the rig,” says Simen Lieungh, CEO of Odfjell Drilling.

Odfjell Drilling has an agreement with Marine Accurate Well ASA (Maracc) for the operation, project follow-up and marketing of the rig Island Innovator, which will be ready for drilling operations on the Norwegian continental shelf from summer 2013.

Maracc and Lundin Norway AS have signed an agreement for Island Innovator to drill 12 wells. It is expected that the activity will extend over approx. two years from start-up in the second quarter 2013.

“The Norwegian continental shelf is our home market. We have almost 40 years’ experience of operating rigs that are wholly or partly owned by companies other than Odfjell Drilling. Management agreements of this kind are an important part of our strategy, and they form the basis for further developing our expertise in operating mobile rigs and providing production drilling services for operator companies. We will do our utmost to deliver safe and efficient drilling services for Lundin and Maracc,” says Simen Lieungh.

The building of Island Innovator is being completed at Cosco Shipyard, Qidong in China. Odfjell Drilling has mobilised a follow-up team at the yard that will ensure progress and the quality of the remaining work. The rig will fly the Norwegian flag and will have an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AOC) for mobile installations from the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway.

In recent years, Odfjell drilling has completed and mobilised four modern drilling rigs and drillships for drilling operations on the Norwegian continental shelf and internationally.

Odfjell Drilling owns and operates seven drilling rigs and drillships on the Norwegian continental shelf, in Angola, Tanzania and Brazil, in addition to carrying out production drilling assignments on 18 production installations on the Norwegian and British continental shelves. Odfjell Drilling has a competence pool consisting of around 500 engineers who deliver services relating to drilling, operations, maintenance, modifications and newbuilds of mobile and fixed drilling units.

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Source: Odfjell Drilling, May 17, 2012; Image: Maracc