Maersk has secured contract from Shell for the deepwater semi-submersible rig Mærsk Developer.

The deepwater semi-submersible rig will be used for the drilling and completion of three wells, as well as suspension of one well in block E of the East Coast Marine Area (ECMA) offshore Trinidad.

The contract, which is expected to begin January 2018, will be carried out for eight to nine months with options for more than two years of additional work.

Maersk will also offer additional in-field integrated services, as per terms of the contract.

Maersk also secured an extended contract from Wintershall Noordzee for the Maersk Resolve jack-up. The contract has been expanded from the original 86 days to a minimum of 160-190 days.

In addition, Maersk has secured an extended contract from Petrogas E&P Netherlands for the Maersk Resolute jack-up.

The contract has been extended to caryy out plug and abandonment work at the Q1 Halfweg platform. 

The duration of the contract increased from 95 days to 140 days, while the total duration of the two extensions is around 150 days. 

Maersk Drilling chief commercial officer Lars Østergaard said: “Working with Shell on this project and contributing to delivering gas production in Trinidad is very exciting for Maersk Drilling.

“The project scope involves a range of integrated services and we look forward to taking on the responsibility for these while deploying Maersk Developer’s advanced drilling capabilities.

“The North Sea is a key market for us, and we remain committed to offering a safe and efficient operation to both Wintershall and Petrogas.”