Danish firm Maersk Drilling has announced the agreement of a 100-day extension deal for the Maersk Innovator to continue drilling the Buzzard field.
The deal will see the jack-up rig continue to drill infill wells in the North Sea until February 2020.
Cnooc Petroleum, a subsidiary of Cnooc International, exercised a one-well option for the rig to continue work.
The Maersk Innovator is a CJ70 ultra-harsh environment jack-up rig which was delivered in 2003 and is designed for year-round operations in the North Sea.
The Buzzard field lies 62 miles north-east of Aberdeen.
Discovered in 2001, production started there in 2017 and would produce up to 85,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.
First oil from Phase 2 is expected in 2021.
Morten Kelstrup of Maersk Drilling said: “We’re very pleased to be able to keep the Maersk Innovator working on the Buzzard field.
“This extension is yet another indication that the activity level is rising in the North Sea, leading to a tightening market for our high-quality CJ70 rigs.”