The FINANCIAL — Statoil is sending out an invitation to tender for a new type of drilling rig. It is specially-designed by the industry on behalf of Statoil for use on mature fields on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
The purpose is to make drilling and completion of production wells less expensive, more effective and safer, and thereby boost oil recovery.
Discoveries on the NCS are getting smaller and it is becoming more important to increase drilling activity in mature fields to attain the full potential of the NCS. To meet this challenge, lower rig rates, greater drilling efficiency and access to rigs are key factors.
Fit-for-purpose rig
“The rigs delivered to the NCS in recent years were first and foremost constructed for operations in deep water,” says Jon Arnt Jacobsen, chief procurement officer in Statoil.
“That means that they are big and too costly for our requirements and challenges on the NCS. We are therefore taking steps to rejuvenate the rig fleet and ensure that the right rig meets the right requirements.”
The specially-designed category D rig is able to operate at water depths of 100-500 metres and drill wells down to 8,500 metres. It will be a workhorse on mature fields, primarily for drilling production wells and well completion. In this way, Statoil and its partners can get more oil out of the fields.
The rig has been developed in collaboration with various industry players.
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