Stena Drilling drillship wins work in the Mediterranean

Offshore drilling contractor Stena Drilling has won a new contract for its ultra-deepwater drillship Stena Forth in the Mediterranean Sea offshore Israel.

According to Bassoe Offshore, the contract was awarded by previous Noble Energy subsidiary Noble Energy Mediterranean – now a subsidiary of Chevron following its recent acquisition of Noble.

The Stena Forth was hired for a decommissioning campaign offshore Israel and a potential optional scope for Noble Energy International in Cyprus. The rig will mobilize offshore Israel between July and August 2021. Bassoe Offshore also stated that the day rate for the Stena Forth contract would be around $175,000.

There are four wells to be plugged and abandoned and the work is estimated to take around 80 days. Also, there is an option to extend the contract for up to three P&A wells and one completion in Israel, as well as one further option well to be drilled off Cyprus.

Before the drillship starts work in the Mediterranean Sea, it will have to complete work for Tullow Oil offshore Suriname.

Namely, Stena Drilling announced last month that Tullow Oil hired the Stena Forth drillship to drill one well in Block 47 off Suriname.

The Block 47 forms part of the Suriname-Guyana Basin, which is located approximately 260 kilometres north of the coast of Suriname.

The rig owner stated at the time that Stena Forth would mobilise to Suriname in late December 2020 or early January 2021 with a planned campaign start in January or February 2021.

Offshore Energy previously reported that Tullow’s Suriname well was initially supposed to be drilled in 2020 but has since been delayed.