ONGC needs chopper for DD-KG1
ONGC needs a helicopter as it prepares to deploy drillship DD-KG1 to begin drillings at two OALP-6 blocks off the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in November 2024.
DD-KG1 is presently drilling the ultra-deepwater well CYUD191H-CH-01 (CHOLA) at its OALP-5 block CY-UDWHP-2019/1 in the Cauvery offshore basin. Once the well is completed, ONGC will move DD-KG1 to east Andaman block AN-UDWHP-2020/1, where it will drill wells AN-UDW20-1-H-A and AN-UDW20-1-H-B.
Next, the rig will drill well AN-UDW20-2-H-A at the west Andaman block AN-UDWHP-2020/2. ONGC needs a helicopter to provide air logistics and personnel movement.
On October 8 (2024), ONGC invited EoIs for the helicopter with an October 11 (2024) deadline. Anyone interested can offer a helicopter under 11 years old for a 9-12 month contract.
A tender will likely follow soon. ONGC is in a rush because DD-KG1 has almost completed CHOLA and will have to move to the Andaman drilling locations soon.
ONGC hired Transocean-owned DD-KG1 at an ODR of $347,000 on a contract from May 2024 until February 2026. On May 9 (2024), ONGC spud CHOLA at 11.45am with plans to drill it to 5232 metres TD.
On September 19 (2024), ONGC was carrying out a well completion procedure and conducted a Drill Stem Test on Object-4 between 4727-4724, 4712-4699, and 4681-4669 metres. When the well was spud, an overjoyed ONGC announced on X, formerly Twitter: "ONGC touches another high in its exploratory push in deep water frontiers as its #deepwater well CHOLA is spudded at a water depth of around 1.7-km in the Bay of Bengal."