Maersk Drilling has been awarded a contract from Spirit Energy for the harsh-environment jack-up rig Maersk Resolve to drill one development well at Grove North East in the UK North Sea. The contract is expected to commence in March 2021, with an estimated duration of 131 days. The firm contract value is approximately USD 11.3m, including additional services, mobilisation and demobilisation. The contract includes an option to add plugging and abandonment of one well.

“We’re excited to be able to build on our relationship with Spirit Energy with our first UK well for the customer, for whom we previously completed a highly successful subsea development campaign in Norway. We will surely be able to continue our close collaboration and mutual focus on operational excellence, and in addition the campaign at Grove will benefit from Maersk Resolve’s experience with safely and efficiently drilling challenging Zechstein formations as part of the rig’s latest assignment in Dutch waters,” says COO Morten Kelstrup of Maersk Drilling.

Maersk Resolve is a 350ft, Gusto-engineered MSC CJ50 high-efficiency jack-up rig which was delivered in 2009. It completed a campaign offshore the Netherlands in October 2020 and is currently warm-stacked in Esbjerg, Denmark.

About Maersk Drilling A/S

Maersk Drilling designs, develops and operates a global fleet of advanced drilling rigs using cutting-edge technology and know-how. Our modern fleet counts 24 drilling rigs including drillships, deepwater semi-submersibles and high-end jack-up rigs. We create value with our customers through a unique service delivery concept where we customise safe, efficient and consistent drilling services. We build our service around our highly skilled and committed workforce, our state of the art offshore drilling rigs and our 40 years of experience operating in the most challenging.

About Spirit Energy

Spirit Energy was created in 2017 following the combination of Centrica’s Exploration & Production business and Bayerngas Norge AS. The business is 69%-owned by Centrica plc, with the remaining 31% owned by Bayerngas Norge’s former shareholders, led by Stadtwerke München and Bayerngas GmbH.

The independent company was formed to combine a complementary mix of producing and development assets, and creates a robust, self-financing business to allow both organic and inorganic growth.