On behalf of its partners in the Bacalhau oil field, Equinor Brasil has awarded Valaris a 540-day drilling contract to commence in 2023.
The Valaris DS-17 drillship will be used to drill an appraisal well, cap a former exploration well and conduct additional drilling scope work in Brazil. It is an ultra-deep water drillship capable of operating in water depths of more than 3,600 metres.
As well as drilling services, the contract includes other services such as managed pressure drilling, casing execution, waste treatment and gravel handling. A fuel-reduction incentive was also agreed on.
“The second rig in Bacalhau will expand our drilling capacity in Brazil and will further improve our understanding of Bacalhau Norte through an ADR (reservoir data acquisition) well. The decision to bring the DS-17 demonstrates our commitment to creating value in Brazil, where we have a long-term presence,” says Veronica Rezende Coelho, Equinor’s country manager in Brazil.
Partners in the Bacalhau project are Equinor 40% (operator), ExxonMobil 40%, Petrogal Brasil 20% and Pré-sal Petróleo SA (manager of production sharing contracts).
