Norwegian oil and gas explorer BW Energy contracts Deepsea Mira to drill Kudu appraisal well offshore Namibia

Norway-based global exploration and production (E&P) company BW Energy has chosen Deepsea Mira semi-submersible rig to drill its Kharas appraisal well on the Kudu Petroleum Production Licence 003 (PPL003) offshore Namibia in the Orange Basin.

The Deepsea Mira, owned by Norwegian drilling contractor Northern Ocean Limited (NOL), is a sixth-generation semi-submersible drilling rig of the CS 60 E design, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2018 for use in harsh offshore environments and capable of operating in water depths of up to 3,000 metres. It started work for TotalEnergies in December 2022 under a multi-country drilling agreement and was deployed offshore Namibia to evaluate the giant Venus light oil discovery.

As recently reported by NewsBase, NOL signed a contract with South Africa-based private explorer Rhino Resources (Rhino) to deploy Deepsea Mira, managed by Norwegian operator Odfjell Drilling, for deepwater operations offshore Namibia.

The contract included one firm well for Rhino, one firm well for another operator – which was not named in the announcement - and three optional wells, with an estimated duration of 112 days. BW Energy has now confirmed in its statement on July 28 that the agreement to use Deepsea Mira was part of a rig-sharing arrangement previously announced by the rig’s operator NOL with Rhino Resources.

“The contract, entered into by [Namibian subsidiary of BW Energy] BW Kudu Ltd., provides access to an in-country rig and an experienced services team with a strong track record in the Orange Basin, supported by a high level of local content,” BW Energy said. The rig is expected to complete the work in the second half of 2025.

PPL003 covers approximately 4,567 km² of the Kudu gas field, located roughly 130 km off Namibia’s south-west coast in about 170m of water. The Kudu field was originally discovered in 1974. The licence is held and operated by BW Energy, which owns 95%, while NAMCOR E&P, a subsidiary of the Namibian national oil company NAMCOR, holds the remaining 5% working interest.

About BW Energy

BW Energy is a growth E&P company with a differentiated strategy targeting proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs through low risk phased developments. In Africa, the company’s assets are 73.5% of the producing Dussafu Marine licence offshore Gabon and a 95% interest in the Kudu field in Namibia, all operated by BW Energy. In addition, the explorer holds approximately 6.6% of the common shares in Reconnaissance Energy Africa, a Canadian oil and gas exploration company focused on onshore Namibia, and a 20% non-operating interest through a farm-out agreement in the onshore Petroleum Exploration License 73 (PEL 73) in Namibia.