PETRONAS Suriname E&P B.V. has recently awarded a significant contract to Noble Drilling which involves the deployment of the semisubmersible deepwater rig, Noble Discoverer, to drill an exploration well in Block 52, located offshore Suriname. This announcement follows the successful collaboration between PETRONAS and Noble in the region.
The contract is set to begin in August 2023 and is expected to last for approximately 90 days. Valued at around US$43 million, the contract includes various additional services such as mobilisation and demobilisation fees. It is worth noting that the contract also includes an option for an additional well.
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Blake Denton, the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Contracts at Noble, expressed great satisfaction with the agreement. Denton highlighted the significance of this contract, which will position the Noble Discoverer in the same block where its sister rig, Noble Developer, had previously operated for PETRONAS. He further emphasized that this opportunity would allow Noble to showcase its extensive experience in the prolific Suriname basin before the rig commences its upcoming contract in Colombia later this year.
Currently, the Noble Discoverer is actively operating offshore Guyana for CGX Energy. Following the conclusion of its duties there, the rig is scheduled to move to Colombia to undertake a contract with Ecopetrol, Colombia’s state-run oil company.
The exploration well to be drilled by the Noble Discoverer will contribute to the ongoing efforts in unlocking the hydrocarbon potential of the Suriname basin.
