Chevron Australia is cutting its contract with Atwood Oceanics short due to damages caused by a cyclone offshore Australia.
The Atwood Osprey. From Atwood. |
The amendment will see the contract end one year earlier for the Atwood Osprey semisubmersible drilling unit that endured damages from Cyclone Olwyn on 12 March. However, both parties have agreed for the contractual rates to remain unchanged.
The vessel parted several mooring lines and drifted approximately three nautical miles from its original position during when the cyclone hit the northwest coast of Australia last month.
According to Atwood, the duration of the force majeure event and resultant repairs necessitated by the damage incurred from the cyclone have triggered termination rights. It is expected that repairs for damage sustained by the rig and required regulatory approvals will be completed by 30 April 2015.
No rig personnel were injured in the event that resulted in a temporary production shut-in of the Woodside Petroleum-operated Pluto LNG plant after the rig drifted near the Pluto flowlines.
The Atwood Osprey was on location at the Iago 1B well that had been shut down and secured in accordance with Chevron's cyclone demobilization procedures and evacuated all rig personnel in advance of the cyclone.