Shell takes Maersk drillship for four Malaysian wells

Offshore drilling contractor Maersk Drilling has secured a contract with Shell for the 7th generation drillship Maersk Viking to drill four development wells at the Gumusut-Kakap project offshore Malaysia.

The contract is expected to start in December 2021, with an estimated duration of 150 days. The firm contract value is approximately $34 million, including a mobilisation fee.

The Shell-operated Gumusut-Kakap project lies in waters up to 1,200 metres (3,900 feet) deep. It is its first deep-water platform in Malaysia. The first oil from the project was produced in October 2014.

The contract includes five additional one-well options for work offshore Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei Darussalam.

Morten Kelstrup, COO of Maersk Drilling, said: “We’re delighted to confirm that Maersk Viking will return to Shell Malaysia for work on the Gumusut-Kakap project. In this way, we will be able to build further on the great collaboration that the rig’s highly capable crew has established during its current campaign with Brunei Shell Petroleum”.

Maersk Viking is a high-spec ultra-deepwater drillship, which was delivered in 2013. It is currently operating offshore Brunei Darussalam.

Namely, Shell in November 2020 awarded a one-well contract extension for the Maersk Viking drillship in Brunei.

The contract extension, with an estimated duration of 35 days, is expected to start in May 2021 in direct continuation of the rig’s previously agreed work scope.

Furthermore, in February 2021, the Maersk Viking was awarded a contract from Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) to drill one exploration well in Block 6-1 offshore South Korea.

This contract, with an estimated duration of 45 days, is scheduled to start in June 2021.