Northern Ocean’s Deepsea Bollsta rig heads to Norway

Norway

STAVANGER, November 18, 2024 – Equinor has awarded a two-year contract to Northern Ocean for the deployment of its Deepsea Bollsta rig on the Norwegian continental shelf, the companies announced on Monday.

The contract is expected to start in the second half of 2025 and has an estimated firm duration of two years plus five one-year optional periods. It adds approximately USD 335 million of firm backlog to Northern Ocean, plus additional payments of around USD 80 million for upgrades, integrated services and mobilisation.

Deepsea Bollsta has been drilling in Namibia but has a previous track record for operations in Norway. The rig will be operated by OdfjellDrilling, which is currently operating three other rigs for Equinor: Deepsea Aberdeen, Deepsea Atlantic and Deepsea Stavanger.

“Deepsea Bollsta will add flexible capacity to our drilling portfolio. On average, we have 25 active drilling operations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Rig capacity is important for us, as we plan to deliver 50-70 increased recovery wells and 20-30 exploration wells annually going forward,” said Erik Kirkemo, Equinor’s senior vice-president for drilling and wells.

Photo courtesy of Odfjell Drilling

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