ADA drilling superintendent Iain Robertson told PetroleumNews.net that the company had recently secured five well options with the Ensco 56.
It was now brokering deals whereby operators could use the rig and save mobilisation costs – which for New Zealand could be as much as $US15 million ($A17.7 million) or so.
“This is the first go-it-alone option for us in New Zealand,” Robertson said.
“We've taken the rig, as we believe there are quite a few operators with well requirements on their books that the 56 would suit.”
He declined to name parties that might be interested in using the rig.
However, industry sources say possible operators include Todd Energy, which could use the rig to drill Karewa appraisal wells in licence PEP 38602; American independent company Discovery Geo, which could use the rig to drill the Awakino South prospect in PEP 38479; and fellow US independent Swift Energy to drill the Kaheru prospect in PEP 38495.
Robertson believed the Ensco 56 should finish the six scheduled offshore development wells for Pohokura operator Shell Exploration New Zealand sometime during the second quarter of 2008.
Melbourne-headquartered ADA says it offers innovative solutions to overcoming the difficulty of attracting drilling rigs to remote locations such as New Zealand.
ADA would liaise with various rig owners on behalf of operators to present a combined work program that was sufficiently large to contract and mobilise a suitable drilling rig.
“This concept provides a highly cost-effective solution when compared to short programs in remote areas that are typically not viable on their own due to the high mobilisation costs involved,” Robertson said.
He said rig operators worldwide were now looking for contracts of at least a year, if not two.
“That's fine for the majors such as Shell and BP, who can put together such campaigns, but not for the smaller operators,” he said.
Robertson said ADA currently had plans to manage two such consortiums – mainly in Australia’s Bass Strait, with possible excursions to New Zealand.
These were with the SeaDrill-operated West Triton jack-up rig and with the Maersk-operated Kan Tan IV semi-submersible rig.
The West Triton program is scheduled to start next January for five different operators – Apache, Beach Petroleum, Nexus, Oilex and recently listed junior explorer 3D Oil. Presently eight wells were firm, with others possible.
ADA was currently convening the Kan Tan IV consortium for a program of work of up to three years, starting in the second quarter of 2008.
Robertson said he could not identify any interested parties, as nothing had yet been finalised.
He added that ADA had up to 43 wells, with 12 operators, to drill in Australia and New Zealand over the next three years. It was also actively pursuing other overseas contracts.
ADA set up a project office in New Plymouth earlier this year – its first foray into New Zealand – after Kupe operator Origin Energy appointed it as drilling consultancy group for the $NZ980 million ($A872 million) Kupe gas-condensate project off south Taranaki.
Robertson said ADA was now part of the Kupe gas project team and responsible for all planning work – including well design, contracting and procurement – and for all the health and safety, technical and operational objectives of the drilling campaign.
