Songa stacks semi-sub, faces downtime on three Cat D rigs

Offshore drilling contractor Songa Offshore has stacked one of its semi-sub rigs following a contract completion in September. The company has also informed that three of its Cat D drilling rigs have been impacted by an ongoing strike of the oil service workers in Norway. 

The 1984-built semi-submersible drilling rig Songa Dee ended its contract with Statoil on September 9, 2016, and is currently stacked, while marketed for new employment.

The drilling contractor said on Tuesday the rig achieved an operational efficiency of 100% and an earnings efficiency of 94% for the operational part of the month, working for Statoil in Norway.

Songa Dee joins the company’s other stacked rig, the 1976-built Songa Trym, that was stacked in late 2015 after getting an early contract cancellation from Statoil.

In related news, Songa said at the end of September that three of its rigs were out of operations due to a conflict between the workers’ union and the employers’ organization in Norway. Over 300 oil service workers went on strike in mid-September after  mediation over the collective oil service agreement between the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association and the Norwegian Union of Industri Energi had failed. Around 350 oil service workers at Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, and Halliburton were laid off in Norway as a result of the strike action with further layoffs expected in various companies.

Songa Offshore reported on Tuesday in its fleet status report that its first Cat D rig Songa Equinox achieved an operational efficiency of 80% and an earnings efficiency of 75% for the month, working for Statoil in Norway. Earnings efficiency excluding the effects of the ongoing strike was 79%.The earnings efficiency was negatively impacted by preparation activities for winter season operations and planned maintenance.

Further, the company’s second delivered Cat D rig Songa Endurance achieved an operational efficiency of 96% and an earnings efficiency of 86% for the month, working for Statoil in Norway. Earnings efficiency excluding the effects of the ongoing strike was 95%.

Finally, the company’s fourth Cat D Songa Enabler achieved an operational efficiency of 100% and an earnings efficiency of 96% for the month, working for Statoil in Norway. Earnings efficiency excluding the effects of the ongoing strike was 99%.

Offshore Energy Today Staff