Marco Polo Drilling News


Deepsea Bollsta Rig Gets New Name as Odfjell Drilling Takes Ownership

12 hours ago

Odfjell Drilling has completed the acquisition of the harsh-environment drilling rig Deepsea Bollsta, including the novation of the rig’s drilling contract with Equinor for a firm period running until early 2028 and with five one-year extension options…

VAALCO Energy Spuds First Well in New Drilling Campaign off Gabon

Dec 09, 2025

Africa-focused oil and gas company VAALCO Energy has started its phase three drilling program offshore Gabon with the spudding of the ET-15 infill well on the Etame platform.As previously announced, the company secured a drilling rig in December…

Equinor Secures Permit for North Sea Drilling Operation

Dec 09, 2025

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor a drilling permit for a wildcat well in the North Sea.The permit is for wellbore 35/11-32 S in production license 090 HS, operated by Equinor with 60% working interest.The other partners in license are Inpex Idemitsu Norge and Vår Energi…

Oil Firms in Norway to Drill 18% Less Exploration Wells by 2026, Survey Finds

Dec 04, 2025

A survey on Thursday showed that oil firms in Norway are planning to drill 18% less exploration wells next, as they focus on existing fields. This could undermine the government's aim of maintaining production from Europe's biggest petroleum producer…

COSL Drilling Europe Explores Development of Fully Electric BOP

Nov 21, 2025

COSL Drilling Europe is examining the development of fully electric blowout preventer (BOP), a move the company says could lower costs and improve efficiency in offshore drilling and plug and abandonment operations.The concept was originally created by John Dale and Electrical Subsea & Drilling…

Norway Issues Permits for Equinor’s Drilling Ops in North Sea

Nov 20, 2025

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor drilling permits for two wildcat wells in the North Sea.The permits are for wellbore 33/12-N-3 GH in production license 037 B/152 and 33/12-N-3 HH in production license 037 B/277.Equinor is the operator of Equinor of the licenses…

Blackford Dolphin Semi-Sub to Keep Drilling Offshore India

Nov 20, 2025

Oil India has exercised its option to extend the drilling contract with Dolphin Drilling for the semi-submersible rig Blackford Dolphin.Further to the initial three-well firm campaign over an estimated 14-month duration, agreed in March 2024…

Shelf Drilling’s Jack-Up to Restart Ops for Aramco as Suspension Ends

Nov 19, 2025

Offshore drilling contractor Shelf Drilling has received a notice from Saudi oil and gas giant Aramco to resume operations for the Harvey H. Ward jack-up rig in the Middle East.The rig’s operations were previously suspended by Aramco, effective September 2024…

Noble Intrepid Jack-Up Drills Dry Well in North Sea

Nov 18, 2025

DNO and its partners have drilled a dry well in the Page prospect in the southern part of the North Sea, using Noble Corporation’s Noble Intrepid jack-up rig.The wildcat well 2/6-8 S and technical sidetrack 2/6-8 ST2 were drilled in production license 1086…

SED Energy’s GHTH Rig Kicks Off Ops for PTTEP

Nov 18, 2025

The semi-submersible tender-assist drilling rig GHTH, owned by SED Energy Holdings’ subsidiary Energy Drilling, has started operations with Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP).The rig started operating after completing preparatory work in Singapore…

Odfjell Drilling Buys One Semi-Sub Rig, Finds Work for Another

Nov 17, 2025

Offshore drilling contractor Odfjell Drilling has signed a $480 million deal to acquire Deepsea Bollsta semi-submersible drilling rig from Northern Ocean, while securing also securing a job for its Deepsea Aberdeen rig.Deepsea Bollsta has been…

Rhino Resources Prolongs Deepsea Mira's Stay off Namibia

Nov 12, 2025

Offshore drilling contractor Northern Ocean and oil and gas firm Rhino Resources have signed a contract extension for Deepsea Mira semi-submersible drilling rig for work offshore Namibia.The contract for Deepsea Mira with Rhino Resources, signed in July 2025…

Dolphin Drilling Pursues $105M Payment as Nigerian Receiver Takes Control of GHL

Nov 10, 2025

Offshore drilling contractor Dolphin Drilling is seeking to recover $105 million awarded in arbitration against Nigeria’s General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL), after the country’s debt recovery agency appointed a receiver to take control of the company…

Aker BP’s Well in North Sea Comes Up Dry

Nov 07, 2025

Aker BP and its partners have drilled a well in the Yggdrasil area in the North Sea, which proved to be dry.The well 30/11-16 S, or ‘Natrudstilen’, was drilled in production license 873, just over one kilometer east of Fulla and 155 kilometers west of Bergen…

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