Transocean’s 31 Year Old Rig Returns to Canada
The Henry Goodrich drilling rig is on its way to where it spent years of its active drilling life, Canada.
The image above, taken by ?Morten Christiansen, shows the semi-submersible drilling unit being towed by the Maersk Detector anchor handling tug supply vessel.
According to Christiansen, the image was taken on Sunday, April 10, 2016 as the 1985-built, Transocean-owned, drilling rig was leaving the Westcon yard in Olen, Norway.
The rig’s AIS data show the rig is currently sailing through the North Sea, between Norway and the UK, with the White Rose oil field designated as the final location. The AIS data, provided by Marine Traffic, further show that the Maersk Detector is not doing all the work by itself, as it is being helped by another tug, the ALP Winger.
Upon the arrival, the Henry Goodrich will be used by the Canadian energy company Husky Energy at the White Rose oil field development project, some 350 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland.
Husky signed the contract for the rig with Transocean in December 2015, giving it a new lease of life, after it had been idle for months in Norway. The rig’s dayrate has been set at $275,000.
According to Transocean, the estimated contract backlog excluding mobilization is $200 million. The Henry Goodrich is expected to start operations in the second quarter of 2016.
The Henry Goodrich is expected to reach Newfoundland on or around April 30, 2016.
