Statoil cancels rig contract with Seadrill
STAVANGER, Norway -- Statoil has, on behalf of the Aasta Hansteen licence, decided to cancel the contract with Seadrill for the West Hercules drilling rig.
On contract with Statoil since Jan. 31, 2013, the rig has carried out an exploration campaign offshore Newfoundland, in Canada, for the past 18 months.
According to the original plan, the Aasta Hansteen licence was to take over the rig in the second quarter of 2016, for a drilling campaign to be started around July 1, 2016.
In the autumn of 2015, it was decided to postpone the Aasta Hansteen field start-up one year until the last half of 2018, and consequently the field drilling program will also be postponed. One of the reasons is that it is not preferable to complete the wells too early before production start-up.
The contract for West Hercules was originally to expire on Jan. 31, 2017.
