Dolphin Drilling’s Rig Focuses on Plug and Abandonment Mission in UK North Sea

Norway-headquartered offshore drilling contractor Dolphin Drilling has announced that its 35-year-old semi-submersible rig, the Paul B. Loyd Jr. (PBLJ), is currently dedicated to its plug and abandonment (P&A) mission in the UK sector of the North Sea.

Following its completion of operations at Harbour Energy’s Brodgar well, the PBLJ rig has successfully delivered two appraisal wells, a development well, and a completion with an impressive 98% rig-related uptime.

Now stationed at the Caledonia field in the UK North Sea, the semi-submersible rig is set to undertake a permanent plug and abandonment operation. Dolphin Drilling confirms that Harbour has secured the rig until February 2028, with the option for five additional one-year extensions.

In a recent development, Dolphin Drilling has amended its existing $65 million facility deal, with security over the Paul B. Lloyd Jr. rig. This amendment includes relief on amortization installments due for the months from April to June 2025.

The Paul B. Loyd Jr. rig, constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea in 1990, joined Dolphin’s fleet in 2024 after transitioning from Transocean’s rig fleet. The rig features an enhanced Aker H-4.2 design and is designed for mid-water harsh-environment operations, capable of operating at a maximum water depth of 600 meters.