Danish offshore drilling company Maersk Drilling has won a contract extension for its ultra-deepwater semi-submersible rig Maersk Deliverer with Inpex in Australia.
The extension, of an undisclosed value, is for drilling services at the Ichthys field in the Browse Basin offshore Western Australia.
The one-year contract extension will begin in July 2023, and will be a straight continuation of the rig's present contract. The deal includes a one-year extension option. The rig's current day rate is $266,200.
Offshore Engineer reached out to Maersk Drilling, seeking more info on the contract extension dayrate.
A Maersk Drilling spokesperson said: "I’m afraid we’re not able to be more specific about the day rate, however, we can confirm that the options were not priced in the original contract and that the extension announced today is certainly at a very attractive day rate."
Local community
"The operations in Australia will continue to be carried out with a particular focus on bringing value to the local community. Since arriving in the country in 2020, Mærsk Deliverer has employed a crew consisting of more than 80% Australian nationals, thereby significantly exceeding the contractual requirement of 40%. In addition, the rig follows Maersk Drilling’s global policy of using local suppliers when possible," Maersk Drilling said.
Morten Kelstrup, COO of Maersk Drilling: “We’re delighted to confirm that Maersk Deliverer and its dedicated crew will continue to support INPEX and create value for the Western Australia community into 2024. The campaign at the Ichthys field has reached several key milestones, including that Maersk Deliverer was the first-ever rig to use managed pressure drilling in Australian waters."
Maersk Deliverer is a DSS-21 column stabilized dynamically positioned semi-submersible drilling rig, able to operate in water depths up to 10,000ft. It is currently operating offshore Australia.
