Yesterday, Neptune Energy announced it extended a contract for Odfjell Drilling’s Deepsea Yantai drilling rig, to include three additional wells in the Norwegian North Sea next year.
The Deepsea Yantai is currently drilling the production wells at the Neptune-operated Fenja field in the Norwegian Sea. The extension will include one additional well at the Fenja field and two exploration wells within core areas of the Norwegian sector. Neptune also has the option to include additional wells under the current contract.
Neptune Energy’s Managing Director for Norway, Odin Estensen, said: “The extension of the contract for the Deepsea Yantai plays a vital role in our busy drilling program for next year, including both development and exploration drilling in our core areas with a clear ambition to further grow our business on the Norwegian Shelf.”
Map showing both the Ofelia and Hamlet prospects north of the Neptune-operated Duva field. Map provided by Neptune Norway.
Neptune has got a number of drill-ready options across the NCS. If the two exploration wells will indeed be drilled in the Norwegian North Sea, and in a Neptune core area, it looks likely that both the Hamlet and Ofelia prospects north of Duva will be prioritised. Given that Dugong Tail (33/6-5S) was dry, the well that was planned to be drilled in the Dugong area subsequently, targeting the Shamu prospect, may have been downgraded.
The Deepsea Yantai, owned by CIMC Raffles, has been operating for Neptune Energy in Norway since November 2019. This included completion of the appraisal and production wells at the two new Gjøa P1 and Duva fields, and several exploration wells including the Dugong discovery last year.
