Africa Oil & Gas: Maersk gets drillship service for Ghana well

Offshore driller Maersk Drilling has signed a contract with Aker Energy for Maersk Viking, an ultra-deepwater drillship, to drill the Pecan-4A appraisal well offshore Ghana.

The contract covers one firm well with an expected duration of 30-35 days, with options for additional wells, and it is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2018, Maersk Drilling said on Tuesday.

Maersk Viking is currently warm-stacked in the Gulf of Mexico and will imminently start its voyage to Ghana.

Morten Kelstrup, CCIO of Maersk Drilling, said: “The contract for Maersk Viking marks our third rig operating in Ghana. We have a strong commitment to local job creation and competency development and our new joint venture with Prime Meridian Docks, PMD Viking Ghana, will be providing local services in connection with this operation.”

Maersk Viking, which was built in 2014, will perform the drilling at an ultra-deepwater depth of 2,674 meters in the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) block.

“We are pleased to achieve this key milestone that will enable us to commence drilling of the important Pecan-4A appraisal well. The main objective of the well will be to test the extension of the Pecan Field. This will give valuable and important input when optimizing the Plan of Development for the field and in understanding the wider appraisal potential of the block,” said Jan Arve Haugan, CEO of Aker Energy.

The contract is awarded by Aker Energy on behalf of the license group and as the operator of the DWT/CTP block. Aker Energy is the operator of the block with a 50% participating interest. Aker Energy’s partners are LUKOIL (38%), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (10%) and Fueltrade (2%).