Aker BP renews Norway drilling alliances

Jan. 12, 2023
Aker BP has entered five-year drilling and wells alliance agreements with four companies.

Offshore staff

LYSAKER, Norway  Aker BP has entered five-year drilling and wells alliance agreements with four companies.

Over the past five years, Aker BP and its partners in the Jack-up Rig Alliance and the Semi Rig Alliance have delivered more than 100 wells on the Norwegian shelf and performed close to 80 completions and 35 plug and abandonment operations.

Noble, Halliburton and Aker BP form the jackup alliance, with Odfjell Drilling, Halliburton and Aker BP the players in the semisubmersible alliance.

Last month Aker BP submitted field development plans (PDOs) to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy with combined investments of more than NOK200 billion (US$20 billion). The rig alliances will play critical roles in delivering these projects.

The renewed framework agreement includes commitments for the Noble Integrator and Noble Invincible for the jackup alliance, and Odfjell’s Deepsea Nordkapp for the semi alliance, now contracted through year-end 2024 with an extension option.

And Deepsea Stavanger will join Aker BP’s rig fleet in 2025 for a five-year contract. Both rigs will be deployed on the upcoming PDO projects and therefore subject to governmental and license approvals.

Halliburton has five-year frame agreements to provide well construction and service activities for both alliances.

Tommy Sigmundstad, Aker BP's Drilling & Wells svp, said, “A large part of our drilling and wells activities will be carried out in the alliance model [in which] we are equal partners when it comes to collaboration and planning of activities, but we have different roles. The model enables us all to be competitive in a highly volatile and changing environment.

“Together we enter the next alliance period with shared goals to deliver low-cost, low-carbon wells, develop and implement low-carbon emission operations, and finally, continue to implement digital and automated technologies.”

01.12.2023