Maersk Voyager, image via Maersk Drilling
Maersk Drilling has been awarded a long-term contract today from eni’s subsidiary in Ghana for the employment of their new drillship, Maersk Voyager. The rig will be employed on the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) Project offshore Ghana with expected commencement in July 2015.
The company says the firm contract period is 3.5 years with an option to extend by one year. The total estimated revenue from the firm contract is USD 545 million including mobilisation and escalations.
This drillship is the last in a series of four ultra deepwater drillships built for Maersk Drilling by Samsung Heavy Industries representing a total investment of USD $2.6 billion.
As a sign of the times, the first rig in the series the Maersk Viking won a 3-year contract in the Gulf of Mexico with ExxonMobil for a total value of $610 million.
Claus V. Hemmingsen, CEO in Maersk Drilling commented on the award:
“We are very pleased to be chosen by eni and its partners Vitol and GNPC for this project offshore Ghana and we look forward to working together with the OCTP JV over the next 3.5 years. West Africa has been a strategic focus area for Maersk Drilling, since we embarked on our deepwater expansion, and with this contract we expand our presence in the promising West African deepwater market.”