Maersk Drilling has been awarded contracts which will see the harsh environment jack-up rig Maersk Resolute employed to plug and abandon a total of 31 wells in the Dutch sector of the North Sea in support of a rig sharing agreement between TotalEnergies EP Nederland B.V. and Petrogas E&P Netherlands B.V. The contracts are expected to commence in Q2/Q3 2022, in direct continuation of the rig’s current contract, and will include the plugging and abandonment of 11 wells with TotalEnergies and 20 wells with Petrogas. The estimated duration is 575 days, and the total firm contract value is approximately USD 43m, excluding potential performance bonuses. The contracts include options to add additional work scopes with a total estimated duration of 228 days.

“We’re pleased to secure this long-term commitment for Maersk Resolute to continue operating in the Netherlands. By deploying the rig for a combined 31-well campaign we will be able to ensure a consistent focus on efficiency improvements from well to well, while simultaneously operating with the respect for the continued sustainability of the marine environment that is a key component in successful plugging and abandonment operations,” says COO Morten Kelstrup of Maersk Drilling.

Maersk Resolute is a 350ft, Gusto-engineered MSC CJ50 high-efficiency jack-up rig that was delivered in 2008. It is currently operating offshore the Netherlands.