Global contractor Dolphin Drilling has announced it has secured a Letter of Intent with Wellesley Petroleum AS for the drilling of an HPHT exploration well on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Bjørnar Iversen, chief executive of Dolphin Drilling, said: “We are pleased with the opportunity given and trust shown by Wellesley to continue our great relationship by drilling its next HPHT well. This agreement further builds our operational backlog in 2022 and is a result of Borgland Dolphin’s continuous delivery of safe and efficient performance, technical capacity and best-in-class motion characteristics for year-round drilling.”

Callum Smyth, Operations Manager at Wellesley Petroleum AS, said: “We were very encouraged in 2020 by the performance of the Borgland Dolphin rig and its excellent crew, and are therefore very keen to drill another well with this rig.

“Having the ability to drill this well with the Borgland Dolphin means we can offer our license partners a well at a sensible price. Wellesley has been one of the most active explorers in Norway during recent years and continues to generate high quality prospects that are ready to drill. We have had an excellent experience with our suppliers over the years and are very keen to use the Borgland Dolphin in 2022.

“Borgland is a mature and proven rig, continuing to deliver top quartile performance in our experience, and is a true partner for Wellesley.”

The HPHT well for Wellesley Petroleum AS is scheduled to commence in the Norwegian Continental Shelf in Q1 2022.