Olsen Energy Asa News

Dolphin Drilling AS, a subsidiary of Fred. Olsen Energy ASA, has extended contract with Statoil for Bideford Dolphin. "We have entered into a one well contract extension, including one optional well, with Statoil for use of the semi-submersible drilling rig Bideford Dolphin for operation on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, with commencement latest 31 July 2017," said a statement from the company.   The one-well program is estimated to take 50 days and estimated contract value is approximately USD 8.6 million.

Offshore wind-power producers from Dong Energy A/S to RWE AG are building custom ships at record rates to reduce the cost of the technology which is  three times as pricey as electricity from coal plants. As many as 20 vessels, some with movable legs which reach the seafloor, will come onto the market in the next few years, reducing chartering costs of as much as 200,000 euros ($261,000) a day, said Marc Seidel, an offshore engineer at Suzlon Energy Ltd., which supplies turbines to Germany’s RWE. A lack of specialized installation ships has forced companies to hire barges designed for oil exploration, holding up work at projects such as EON AG’s Robin Rigg wind farm off Scotland’s western coast.

“With the diagnostics and remote access that is being built into our rigs now, it is really important that software integrity is flawless,” said CEO Ivar Brandvold of Fred. Olsen Energy ASA. “Our analysis indicates that applying the ISDS class notation can easily save USD 6-20 million by avoiding the delays caused by the need to re-work software,” said Rolf Benjamin Johansen, the director of operations at software integration for DNV maritime and energy. “In fact, this range is conservative as it does not include avoided costs. Being on schedule avoids propagating supply-chain costs and loss of brand reputation. The ISDS notation focuses on how to set up and run a project and how to develop quality assurance processes that will last throughout the vessel’s lifetime.

Statoil has awarded a contract to Dolphin AS and a letter of intent to Seadrill for two rigs which will operate on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The Bideford Dolphin rig has won a three-year contract with start-up from 27 January 2011. The contract is worth about $421m. Statoil has an option to extend the contract from three to four years by 1 November 2010. The value of the contract will then increase to about $553m. Dolphin AS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fred Olsen Energy ASA. Seadrill’s West Epsilon rig has been awarded a letter of intent for a four-year contract to take effect on 29 December 2010. This contract is worth about $394m. The agreement is conditional on partner approval. Statoil can extend the contract period to five or six years before 1 October 2010.

The original contract signed on February 26, 2004 with Blackford Dolphin Pte Ltd (Owner), a subsidiary of Fred Olsen Energy ASA, for work to be carried on the Blackford Dolphin was $177m. The expected delivery date was in June 2007. On July 20, 2007, an addendum was agreed upon, which took into account changes up to that point in time by the Owner. The contract value was increased to $239.5m with the delivery date revised to February 2008. Since the addendum, there have been further revisions, including changes to the design of the rig, by the Owner. This has resulted in variation orders and a delay in the completion of the rig. While some variation orders were agreed upon and paid for by the Owner, outstanding and unresolved variation orders remain.

Fred. Olsen Energy ASA has, via its subsidiary, Dolphin Drilling Ltd, received notification of a contract extension from Agip Gas BV for the semi-submersible drilling rig Bredford Dolphin. The rig has been operating offshore Libya since March 2003. The extended contract is on the same terms and conditions as the current contract and includes a rig rate of approximately $64,000 per day. The extension period covers the time to drill one additional well and test and complete five sub sea wells and is expected to keep the rig employed towards the end of second quarter 2004.

According to Rigzone, Fred Olsen Energy ASA (FOE) has entered into an agreement of intent with the Korean state owned oil company, Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) of South Korea, to request proposals for the construction of a jointly owned new-build ultra deepwater drillship. FOE's wholly owned subsidiary, Dolphin Drilling Ltd., will in case of realizing the project, undertake the technical and commercial operation of the drillship. Finalization of the project including Board approval, is expected within the end of the year. Source: Rigzone

Fred Olsen Energy has signed a contract for the Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel Petróleo Nautipa, which is owned and operated by a joint venture between Fred. Olsen Energy ASA and Prosafe ASA. The contract signed with the Houston based oil company Vaalco Gabon (Etame) Inc. has an approximate value of $30 million, and is initially for two years with options for Vaalco Gabon (Etame) Inc. to extend for up to three more years. The FPSO is currently under contract with Canadian Natural Resources in Angola, and is expected to demobilise from its current location during the summer of 2002, where it will be taken to a shipyard for necessary upgrading before being installed on the Etame Field offshore Gabon by September 2002.