North Atlantic Drilling Takes Delivery of West Elara
North Atlantic Drilling, in which Seadrill has a 75% ownership, has taken delivery of the new harsh environment jack-up drilling rig West Elara from Jurong Shipyard (Singapore). The rig is expected to depart from Singapore on 11 August and will arrive at Westcon Shipyard in Ølen (Norway) early October in order to undertake final contract preparation activities. The West Elara is expected to begin operations for Statoil under a five- year contract late November 2011.
Norwegian Requirements
The West Elara is the first of two GustoMSC CJ70 150A rigs to be constructed for North Atlantic Drilling. The rig is an advanced, ultra large, harsh environment, high specification drilling unit, specifically built for Norwegian requirements and matching the specifications of the largest jack-up drilling units in the world. The unit can operate in water depth up to 150 m with a higher variable deck load and a higher operating efficiency compared to earlier eneration jack-ups. The size of the unit allows for additional opportunities in terms of logistics, well testing and early production.
First of Two New Jack-Ups
Alf C. Thorkildsen, chief executive officer of Seadrill Management AS and chairman of North Atlantic Drilling, said: “We are pleased to take delivery of the West Elara, the first of two new ultra large and harsh environment jack-ups to be added to the North Atlantic Drilling fleet. We look forward to seeing this new and advanced drilling unit operating on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, creating growth for North Atlantic Drilling ahead of its listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange, increasing our presence in this key region and further strengthening our relationship with Statoil, one of our most important customers.”
Two New Contracts
Seadrill also has been awarded two new contracts by AL-Khafji Joint Operations in the joint development zone between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for the jack-up rigs West Triton and Offshore Resolute. The assignments, which will commence in direct continuation of their current contracts in southeast Asia, are each for a firm period of three years plus the time required to mobilise to the Arabian Gulf. Each contract also includes an option for KJO to extend the term for a further one year.