Maersk Drilling has secured a contract from Dana Petroleum Netherlands B.V. to drill two development wells as part of Project Unity in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. The harsh-environment jack-up rig to be used for the job is yet to be assigned. The contract is expected to commence in Q2 2021, with an estimated duration of 121 days. The contract value is approximately USD 12.1m.

Further, Maersk Drilling and Dana Petroleum Denmark B.V. have agreed to defer the previously announced one-well contract in the Danish sector which was originally expected to commence in May 2020. The updated date of commencement will be determined at a later stage, and the rig to be used is yet to be assigned. Maersk Drilling expects to receive compensation in the form of a deferral fee.

Prior to commencement of the Project Unity contract, the rig to be used will be equipped with a high-efficiency Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system which uses ammonia injection to convert NOx into harmless water and nitrogen, expectedly reducing NOx emissions by up to 98%. The design will include an advanced control interface between engines and SCR units.

“We’re happy to add further to our relationship with Dana by drilling these two wells for the Unity gas development project. Operations in the Dutch North Sea come with a strict focus on protecting the environment, and we fully support this as part of our ambition of providing responsible drilling. We already have experience with providing NOx emission reductions by using SCR systems on Mærsk Innovator in the North Sea,” says COO Morten Kelstrup of Maersk Drilling.

Source: Maersk Drilling