East coast assignment for Energy Driller
ONGC has changed its mind about the deployment of its new semi-submersible Energy Driller – hired from US-based Jet Drilling.
ONGC now wants the rig on the east coast and not off the coast of Mangalore and Kochi on the western offshore, as originally planned. “ONGC,†we hear, “changed plans just after the rig set off from Singapore.
†Energy Driller left Singapore on April 19 and reached Kakinada port on May 7. Hired in January for three years at $234,000/day plus a mobilisation fee of $2m, Energy Driller is undergoing inspection before spudding its first well by the end of this week in a location sitting in water depths of 238 metres.
Shortly before the rig left Singapore, an ONGC team was ferried on board to check if it had been upgraded from a 600-feet water depth capable rig to a 1000-feet capable rig. All indications point to ONGC using Energy Driller to drill one or two wells in the eastern offshore before redeploying the rig to the western offshore.