Odfjell Drilling’s semi-submersible drilling rig Deepsea Stavanger has mobilized from Norway to South Africa for a drilling campaign with Total.

Total awarded a contract to the Deepsea Stavanger for drilling offshore South Africa back in July 2019.

The value of the contract was estimated at being between $145-$190 million, plus incentives.

The rig's mobilization to South Africa was expected in the first quarter of 2020.

However, Total last January postponed the Luiperd-1 well, located in Block 11B/12B offshore South Africa, from the first to the second quarter of 2020.

Furthermore, due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Total and Odfjell last May agreed to keep the Deepsea Stavanger idle in Norway prior to mobilising it to South Africa.

In an update on Thursday, Odfjell Drilling said that Deepsea Stavanger has started its mobilization to South Africa under the Total contract.

In a separate statement on Thursday, Africa Energy, one of the partners in the Total-operated block offshore South Africa, said the rig would spud the Luiperd-1 well by September.

Garrett Soden, Africa Energy President and CEO, commented: “Luiperd is the largest prospect in the Paddavissie Fairway and has been de-risked by the nearby Brulpadda discovery and subsequent 3D seismic work”.

It is also worth reminding that the Deepsea Stavanger drilled the basin-opening Brulpadda oil and gas discovery on Block 11B/12B in February 2019.

Block 11B/12B is located in the Outeniqua Basin 175 kilometres off the southern coast of South Africa.

The Paddavissie Fairway in the southwest corner of the block includes the Brulpadda discovery, as well as several large submarine fan prospects that have been significantly de-risked by the discovery and subsequent 3D seismic acquisition.

Total is the operator and has a 45% interest in Block 11B/12B, while Qatar Petroleum and CNR International have 25% and 20% interests, respectively. Africa Energy holds 49% of the shares in Main Street 1549 Proprietary Limited, which has a 10% participating interest in Block 11B/12B.