IOG plc said it had temporarily relocated the Noble Hans Deul rig, halting the Southwark well drill programme, to allow seabed remediation work.
CONDITIONS
The development well in Southern North Sea spud in December.
IOG today said that the Noble Hans Deul rig had experienced “an increasing challenge with seabed conditions which would compromise rig stability.”
Technical personnel had explored potential options to manage the challenges, added IOG.
“However, on Friday 7 January, the rig owner concluded that, as a prudent precautionary measure, temporary relocation of the rig will be required to facilitate seabed remediation and enable safe continuation of Southwark drilling operations.
“This course of action is now in motion.”
IOG added that temporary relocation of the rig minimised the safety and integrity risks to personnel and assets.
The rig is expected to remain offshore with non-essential crew and equipment demobilised while the company rectifies the issue.
SAFETY
“This is a frustrating but absolutely necessary step to ensure we can drill and complete the Southwark production wells in a fully safe manner, which is always our foremost priority,” said IOG chief executive Andrew Hockey.
“Our team is working around the clock with our drilling contractors Noble Corporation and Petrofac to minimise the interruption and resume the Southwark drilling programme at the earliest opportunity.”