Boskalis Malaysia will begin work to retrieve the wreck of the sunk Naga 7 oil rig next month.
The rig was abandoned in May 2021 offshore Sarawak, on Block WL4-00A. It had begun working for ConocoPhillips on the area when a leg of the rig punched through the seabed.
After a first season of recoverywork last year, a new notice to mariners has said the next phase of the operation will kick off in March, continuing until November this year.
Boskalis will use the Takllift 7 heavy lift vessel and the Asian Hercules III, a floating sheerleg crane vessel, for the work. Both vessels are moored in Singapore, according to Marine Traffic.
The 120 metre long accommodation barge Eastern WB300 will be on hand, owned by Eastern Navigation.
Other vessels involved are the ASL Bulan tug, which has replaced the ASL Beaver. Also set to work on the project are the Daya Indah Satu and Perdana Horizon.
Cut Group reported it had carried out work on the Naga 7 recovery project in January.
The rig was owned by Velesto Energy, with the company issuing a notice of abandonment in June 2021. The driller ended up reporting a profit for the quarter, based on the insurance payout on the Naga 7.
All 101 crew members were safely taken to shore during the incident, and some industry observers speculated the sunken rig could be left as a man-made reef.
The Naga 7 rig was at the site of the Salam-3 appraisal well in waters about 90 metres deep when the incident occurred – ConocoPhillips later went back to the appraisal drilling site off Sarawak.
Velesto Energy later made a net profit for 2021’s second quarter after an insurance payout for the Naga 7.