Equinor books Seadrill drillship for Bacalhau development drilling

Offshore staff

HAMILTON, Bermuda – Equinor has contracted the Seadrill drillship West Saturn for a four-year program of work on the Bacalhau field offshore Brazil.

Seadrill estimates the value of the firm portion of the contract at around $380 million, including mobilization, upgrades, and integrated services. The total value is contingent on the Bacalhau partnership taking a final investment, but drilling should start in 1Q 2022.

The contract includes four one-year options.

The West Saturn is equipped with a managed pressure drilling system already installed, and will undergo further upgrades and enhancements in safety, efficiency, and environmental control for the campaign.

Human factor safety enhancements to red zone management will be automated through use Seadrill’s AI-enabled safety technology Vision IQ.

Seadrill will also implement its Plato Performance solution, designed to support continuous improvement in repetitive activities while delivering consistent process execution and optimization of the drilling program.  

The West Saturn’s fuel consumption should come down by 10-15% following the introduction of a combined hydrogen and methanol injection system, while its CO₂ and NOx emissions should fall respectively by 10-15% and 30-80%.

04/27/2021