Norway-headquartered offshore drilling contractor Dolphin Drilling's Blackford Dolphin rig, has left Nigerian waters on July 1, 2024, heading to India, to begin a drilling campaign with Oil India Ltd. The semi-submersible rig is expected to complete a three-well drilling program over 14 months, the contract also includes an optional seven-month extension. As of September 13, 2024, the rig departed from Mauritius on its 7,720-nautical-mile journey to Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, where it will commence operations.
The Andaman Offshore Block, covering an area of 3,669.25 square kilometers, was awarded to Oil India Ltd, by the Government of India in 2019. Most of this area is in shallow waters off the east coast of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with a smaller portion located on land.
In this regard, Oil India Chairman and Managing Director, Ranjit Rath, said that the state-owned company is going to commence drilling activities in Andaman and Nicobar offshore Waters, as part of its exploration efforts, he stated: "We would like to see that there is a stability in terms of the oil prices because that helps us to plan our exploration efforts and that also helps us having a line of sight in terms of our efforts towards offshore exploration as we have already taken a leap of faith and we are going to commence our drilling activities in Andaman and Nicobar offshore waters".
Furthermore, Mubadala Energy, the international energy company based in Abu Dhabi, has announced two key milestones in its exploration activities in the Andaman Sea. The company, in partnership with Harbour Energy, has been awarded the Central Andaman license (with Harbour holding a 60% operated interest and Mubadala Energy 40%) by MIGAS, the Directorate General of Oil and Gas in Indonesia, as this acquisition supports Mubadala Energy’s growth strategy in this region.
Additionally, Mubadala Energy has successfully completed the South Andaman drilling campaign, which appraised the Layaran discovery (a specific discovery in the Andaman Sea), through a series of wells, including Layaran-1, Tangkulo-1, Layaran-2, and Layaran-2ST1. The campaign demonstrated the multi-trillion cubic feet (TCF) potential of the Andaman Sea basin, utilizing advanced technology for efficient and safe operations.
Commenting on the above, Adnan Bu Fateem, Chief Operating Officer of Mubadala Energy, emphasized the importance of the Central Andaman block acquisition for unlocking further opportunities. While Abdulla Bu Ali, President Director of Mubadala Energy in Indonesia, highlighted the success of the drilling campaign as a significant milestone for the company, supporting Indonesia’s energy transition and security goals, as the company is now focused on developing the confirmed resources into production to contribute to the energy landscape of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
