Danish drill rig operator Maersk Drilling has been awarded a contract for an ultra-deep-water exploration campaign in Angola and Namibia by Total.
The contract, which received a Conditional Letter of Award in November 2019, is comprised of a three-well campaign. Maersk Drilling will drill two wells in Angola’s offshore blocs 32 and 48, and one well offshore Namibia, utilizing the 7th generation drillship Maersk Voyager.
With a planned start in January and an estimated duration of 240 days, the contract holds a value of approximately $46.3 million, including a mobilization fee, with the option of two additional one-well campaigns.
“We are thrilled to once again push beyond existing boundaries in collaboration with Total, drawing upon our mutual experience from the exciting deep water exploration projects we have collaborated on over the years,” Morten Kelstrup, COO of Maersk Drilling, said in a statement on Tuesday.
At a water depth of 3,628m, the well drilled in Angola’s Block 48 will set a new world record for the deepest well by water depth upon its completion. Set in Uruguay in 2016, the previous world record was also held by Total utilizing the Maersk Venturer drillship, when the Raya-1 well was completed at a depth of 3,400m.
“In addition, it’s great to be heading back to Angola where we performed a series of successful operations from 2012 to 2016, and to do so in a multi-country campaign which will showcase our ability to quickly and smoothly move operations from one jurisdiction to another.”
