Japan's JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration (Malaysia) is gearing up to drill three wells offshore Malaysia after agreeing a contract for the rig for the campaign.
JX Nippon is to hire the semi-tender drilling rig SKD Berani from a SapuraKencana Petroleum subsidiary.
The contract with be for a minimum 150 days and has two option wells. The contract is expected to start by July 2016.
JX Nippon acquired blocks SK10 and SK8 offshore Sarawak, Malaysia, in 1987 and 1989 respectively. In 2012 and 2013, the firm also acquired deepwater Blocks R (offshore Sabah), 2F and 3F (offshore Sarawak).
The SKD Berani is able to drill to 6000ft water depth and was built in 2006 at Keppel Offshore & Marine in Singapore.
SapuraKencana has also announced a number of other contracts. SapuraKencana Drilling Jaya has accepted an extension to its contract with BP Trinidad & Tobago (BPTT) for the provision of the semisubmersible SKD Jaya. BPTT has extended the use of SKD Jaya for its development drilling campaign offshore Trinidad & Tobago for an additional one well for approximately 45 days, and additional work on an existing well for approximately 60 days.
In addition, SapuraKencana HL won a contract by Selex ES Malaysia, for the provision of FEED and EPCIC of the Radio Shortwave Support System project for Petronas Offshore Facilities off the west coast of Sabah, for 19 months.
In Australia, SapuraKencana Australia has been awarded a contract by Woodside Energy Julimar for phases of the Balnaves decommissioning project in the Balnaves field offshore north-west Australia, as well as light well intervention service for Shell Australia, for five years.