Offshore drilling contractor Shelf Drilling, through its subsidiary Shelf Drilling (North Sea) (SDNS), has secured a contract for the Shelf Drilling Winner jack-up rig with Tenaz Energy for operations in the Dutch North Sea.
The firm term of the contract is one year, with an option for Tenaz Energy to convert the term to three years within the first six months of operations.
The operations are expected to begin in October or November 2025, shortly after completion of the rig’s current contract in Denmark.
The contract award represents Shelf Drilling’s first contract in the Dutch energy sector, where offshore activity is scaling up following the government’s renewed focus on strengthening domestic gas production.
Canada-based Tenaz Energy became the second-largest operator of natural gas assets in the Dutch North Sea earlier in 2025 through its acquisition of Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM), formerly a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and ExxonMobil Corporation.
“We are very pleased to announce this contract for the Shelf Drilling Winner and to establish our partnership with Tenaz Energy in the Netherlands. This award marks a significant milestone for Shelf Drilling as we expand our footprint into a new and active segment of the North Sea.
“We appreciate the opportunity to support their multi-year development program and are fully committed to delivering safe, efficient, and sustainable operations for Tenaz Energy,” said Greg O’Brien, CEO.