Equinor Energy AS exercised an option to Odfjell Drilling Ltd. for a batch of eight wells to extend the use of the Deepsea Aberdeen semi-submersible drilling rig on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
The exercised options are planned to start in fourth-quarter 2025 in direct continuation of the current firm period. It will extend the firm backlog on the Deepsea Aberdeen to third-quarter 2026. The options have a value of about $121 million, excluding integrated services, annual cost escalations, performance, and fuel incentives.
The contract maintains further optional periods which, if exercised, could keep the Deepsea Aberdeen contracted to 2029. Such optional periods consist of three optional periods of eight wells each, or about three times per year.
Deepsea Aberdeen started drilling wells in Svalin field in fourth-quarter 2023 which extended the rig’s firm backlog into second-quarter 2025 (OGJ Online, May 4, 2023).
