Offshore drilling contractor Songa Offshore has informed that a suspension period for its semi-sub rig Songa Delta will start later than expected.

The 1981-built Songa Delta drilling rig was recently suspended by Statoil and the 75% suspension rate of $277,000 per day was supposed to start from the end of June 2016. The end of suspension period was indicated to be mid-August 2016.

However, Songa Offshore said on Wednesday that the previously announced suspension for the rig is currently estimated to be from 20 July to 20 August 2016.

While the owner of the rig did not provide an explanation as to why the beginning of the suspension period has been prolonged, the Norwegian oil company may have other plans for the rig before the suspension kicks in.

Namely, Statoil recently got a consent from the Norwegian offshore safety body, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), to drill an exploration well and possible sidetrack wells in the Norwegian Sea using the Songa Delta rig.

According to the safety authority, the drilling was scheduled to begin in late June and estimated to last 33 days depending on whether a discovery was made or not.

The 1981-built Songa Delta is a semi-submersible drilling unit, capable of operating in water depths up to 2,300 feet. The rig was issued with an Acknowledgment of Compliance (AoC) by the PSA in November 2012.

Fourth Cat D rig arrival

Songa Offshore also said on Wednesday that the company’s fourth and final Cat D rig, the Songa Enabler, arrived in Norway on June 28. The rig is currently preparing for the Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) process and the client’s Acceptance Test Program (ATP).

To remind, the company took delivery of the Songa Enabler rig from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea on March 31, 2016 after which the rig set off on its journey towards Norway.