The Norwegian ƶijϻ Directorate has granted Aker BP a drilling permit to drill a wildcat well in North Sea.
The permit is for a wildcat well 24/12-8 S in production license 869, where Aker BP is the operator with 80% working interest, with Var Energy as partner that holds remaining 20%.
The drilling campaign will be conducted with Odfjell Drilling’s Deepsea Nordkapp semi-submersible rig.
The Deepsea Nordkapp is a sixth generation dynamically positioned harsh environment and winterized rig of Moss enhanced CS 60E design. It has been working with Aker BP since its delivery in 2019.
In December 2023, Aker BP extended the firm contract for the Deepsea Nordkapp until the end of 2026.
The extended term will begin in January 2025 in direct continuation of the current firm contract period and run for a fixed duration of two years.
The contract value for 2025 has a floor and ceiling day rate, resulting in a contract value of $124 million to $146 million, while the 2026 contract value is approximately $179 million, both of which will be adjusted annually based on an inflation formula.
In addition to the extended firm duration, the contract also includes rolling one-year un-priced optional period.