Italian companies Saipem and Eni have announced the signing of a contract for offshore drilling activity in Mozambique, utilising the drillship Saipem 12000. The contract is of 15 months’ duration commencing mid-2019.
. The contract is of 15 months’ duration commencing mid-2019.In addition to this contract, which will allow Saipem to participate in the development of the Coral field, Saipem has been awarded other offshore drilling contracts. The contracts will be executed in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and will utilise cutting-edge vessels from the company’s fleet. The total value of these new contracts is about $230m.
Significantly, Eni has awarded Saipem a contract for the drilling of two wells offshore Cyprus. Work will once again be carried out by the Saipem 12000 and commence in the fourth quarter of 2017. The vessel will be subsequently deployed in Portugal for operations previously announced in 2016 and postponed at the request of the client. These awards attest to Saipem’s consolidation in the area of the Mediterranean where the drillship Saipem 10000 is already active.
The Italian contractor also communicated that the semi-submersible rig Scarabeo 9 will be utilised for the drilling of one well, plus an optional one, in the Black Sea thanks to some innovative upgrades which will enable it to pass through the Bosphorus. This is considered a particularly important development in view of the interesting opportunities for offshore drilling in ultra-deep water in the Black Sea area.
