Equinor Brasil Energia Ltda has, on behalf of its partners in the Bacalhau project, awarded Seadrill Management S PTE Ltd a contract for drilling on the field contingent to final investment decision, according to the company's release.
The duration of the contract is four years, with planned start-up in the first quarter of 2022. The objective is to drill six wells leading up to production start in 2024. The contract also includes four options of one year each. The overall contract value includes mobilisation, upgrades and integrated services.
The total contract value of USD 380 million is contingent on a final investment decision for Bacalhau made by the partnership.
Bacalhau is a project in the Brazilian pre-salt area, located in the Santos basin. The field was discovered in 2012 and purchased from Petrobras in 2016. It consists of two licences, BM-S-8 and Norte de Carcará.
The Bacalhau field has a water depth of about 2,000 metres and is Equinor’s deepest high-pressure field.
West Saturn is a seventh-generation drill ship, adapted for water depths up to 3,600 metres.
The partners in Bacalhau: Equinor (40 per cent, operator), ExxonMobil (40 per cent), Petrogal Brasil (20 per cent) and Pré-sal Petróleo SA (PPSA, regulatory agency, not an investor).