Diamond Offshore will provide a drilling rig for one well offshore Guinea Bissau, starting in July 2024.
The company said it would provide the Ocean BlackRhino for the one-well contract. This will run for at least 30 days, at a cost of $15.4 million, excluding mobilisation.
“We are pleased to secure this work with a new client in direct continuation of our current contract and look forward to commencing the campaign next year,” said Diamond Offshore president and CEO Bernie Wolford, Jr..
The drilling company did not reveal the name of the operator.
Work in Guinea Bissau will follow on immediately from the current contract, with Woodside Energy in Senegal. According to Diamond Offshore’s fleet report, the Ocean BlackRhino will work for Woodside until July 2024. It will then move to Guinea Bissau for the contract, which should conclude in August.
The rig is due to go to the shipyard late in the third quarter of 2024.
Apus Energy, a subsidiary of Petromal, bought two licences off Guinea Bissau under a deal in June with PetroNor E&P.
The two licences, Sinapa and Esperança, cover 4,963 square km. PetroNor had estimated the two main prospects, Atum and Anchova, may hold 467 million barrels of mean unrisked prospective resources.
PetroNor, announcing the deal, said it expected closing in the second half of 2023.
Apus Energy has not responded to a request for confirmation that it has contracted the rig from Diamond Offshore. The company has committed to drilling in 2024.