Semisub rig owner Dolphin Drilling has opted to sell the Bideford Dolphin drilling rig for scrap.
Dolphin Drilling said that the decision aligns with its ongoing efforts to optimise its fleet and enhance operational efficiency. The rig was built in 1975 by Aker Kvaerner in Verdal.
It has been warm-stacked for quite some time in Flekkefjord, Norway, and the company announced in its 2023 third-quarter financial report that it was considering the rig as a candidate for sale.
“The rig will be sold and scrapped in a responsible manner in accordance with applicable international standards,” the company explained.
After the Bideford Dolphin is sold, the driller will own four more 4th and 5th generation enhanced Aker H3 and H4 units – the Borgland Dolphin, Blackford Dolphin, Paul B. Loyd, Jr, and Dolphin Leader.
The Øystein Stray Spetalen-backed company bought the Paul B. Loyd Jr and the Dolphin Leader – formerly the Transocean Leader – from Transocean last year in a deal worth $61.5m.
