ExxonMobil has awarded Maersk Drilling a contract extension valued at US$22.5 million for the ultra deepwater drillship Maersk Viking.
The three-year contract, originally scheduled to end in July and valued at $610 million, will now run an additional 150 days into December this year. The $150,000 dayrate for the extension is much lower than the $557,000 dayrate of the original contract.
“It is evident that we are now looking at a dayrate much lower than the original contract, reflecting the current market situation,” said Michael Reimer Mortensen, vice president and head of global sales in Maersk Drilling, in a May 24 press statement. “However, Maersk Drilling has significantly lowered cost levels across the fleet in the past years, enabling us to operate just as efficiently in this new environment.
“Our first priority is to add value to our customers and their operations, and we will work closely with them to ensure the delivery of safe and efficient operations,” Mortensen added.
Since its delivery from Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Shipyard in 2014, ExxonMobil has used to Maersk Viking for drilling at its Julia field in the Gulf of Mexico.
Maersk Viking was the first of four ultra deepwater drillships that Maersk added to its fleet. These drillships represented an investment of $2.6 billion, and were scheduled for delivery from SHI in late 2013 and 2014.
Earlier this month, Maersk Drilling said it didn’t expect to see significant improvement in offshore rig demand until oil prices stabilize above $60/bbl, or until drilling costs adjust to a lower price.
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