Brazilian oil and gas giant Petrobras has on behalf of the Libra consortium, hired Ocyan's deepwater drillship Norbe VIII to drill at the Mero field, off Brazil.
The contract is for a period of 425 days and is expected to start in July 2021, upon the expiration of the current 10-year contract with Petrobras.
Norbe VIII is a drilling rig with dynamic positioning capable of operating in water depths up to 3,048 meters and drilling wells up to 12,195 meters. The drillship was built in 2011. According to Bassoe Offshore, the day rate for the contract is around $200.000.
"Between the end of the current contract and the beginning of the new one, the vessel must go through a period of maintenance and adaptation to meet the requirements of this new contract. The crew consists of about 180 members," Brazilian offshore drilling contractor Ocyan, formerly known as Odebrecht Oil & Gas, said.
The Libra Consortium, which operates production on the Libra block in the Santos Basin, off Brazil, is led by Petrobras (40%), with partners being Total (20%), Shell Brasil (20%), CNOOC Limited (10%) and CNPC (10%).
According to the ClickPetroleoGas website, the Norbe VIII will start operating at the Mero area in July. The website says that the consortium will have an option to extend the contract by 655 days.