Maersk Drilling has been awarded an additional one-well contract from Aker BP for the low-emission jack-up rig Maersk Integrator. In direct continuation of its previously announced work scope, the rig will move to the Ula field offshore Norway to drill the Ula F – Producer 1 well. The contract has an estimated duration of 85 days and is expected to commence in April 2021. The contract value is approximately USD 21.6m, excluding integrated services provided and a potential performance bonus.

Maersk Integrator is contracted under the terms of the frame agreement that Maersk Drilling and Aker BP entered into in 2017 as part of the Aker BP Jack-up Alliance which also includes Halliburton. The tripartite alliance uses a shared incentives model, thereby securing mutual commitment to collaborate and drive digital initiatives to reduce waste and deliver value. Contracts under the alliance are based on market-rate terms but add the possibility of an upside for all parties, based on actual delivery and performance.

“We are pleased to add one more well to Maersk Integrator’s work scope for Aker BP in 2021. Our alliance with Aker BP and Halliburton is enabling new ways of working as one team across the value chain, and our close collaboration also allows greater flexibility in future well planning, so additional wells can be committed to as plans mature. We have achieved impressive efficiency gains in the alliance, and this also translates into a reduction of the CO₂ emissions associated with drilling. The upgrades currently being performed on Maersk Integrator will improve our emissions profile even further,” says COO Morten Kelstrup of Maersk Drilling.

Maersk Integrator is an ultra-harsh environment CJ70 XLE jack-up rig, designed for year-round operations in the North Sea. It was delivered in 2015 and is currently finalising its scheduled Special Periodic Survey offshore Norway. The rig is further undergoing a series of upgrades  to turn it into a hybrid, low-emission rig before expectedly moving to the Ivar Aasen field for Aker BP this month.