Exploration Rig Deepsea Mira Secures New Contract in Namibia
John Fredriksen-controlled Northern Ocean, a semisub rig spin-off of Northern Drilling, has announced that its 2018-built semisub rig, Deepsea Mira, has secured a new contract in Namibia with oil and gas player Rhino Resources. The rig is set to drill the Volans-1X exploration well in the region.
The Deepsea Mira, managed by Odfjell Drilling, recently completed operations for TotalEnergies in Namibia and is currently stationed at Walvis Bay port. Its previous drilling assignment for TotalEnergies was the Marula-1X well, which unfortunately turned out to be unsuccessful.
The upcoming exploration well is scheduled to commence drilling between late July and early August 2025, with an estimated duration of around 55 days. The Volans prospect is situated near the Capricornus and Sagittarius discoveries, where Rhino Resources previously drilled using the Noble Discoverer drillship from December 2024 to May 2025.
Rhino Resources holds a 42.5% interest in PEL85, the block where the Volans prospect is located. The company’s joint venture partners for this project include Azule Energy, Namibia’s state-owned NAMCOR, and Korres Investments.