Equinor Partners With Island Drilling For Multi-Year Well Plugging Operations

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 28. Island Drilling Company AS has secured a three-year contract for well plugging services on Equinor-operated fields in the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), using the Island Innovator semi-submersible rig, Trend reports.

The contract, valued at approximately $330 million, includes five one-year options. The rig will begin operations in early 2026 and is specifically designed for well plugging.

Under the contract, Island Innovator will plug 15 to 20 wells annually across nine licenses, including subsea wells at Heidrun, Snorre, and Norne. Equinor plans to use the rig for both well plugging and certain drilling services as part of its ongoing maintenance of NCS production, with a focus on improving oil recovery and permanent well decommissioning.

In addition to the Island Innovator contract, Equinor has awarded framework agreements to Archer Oiltools and Baker Hughes Norge for plugging services over the next three years, with the option for two two-year extensions. The total value of the integrated plugging services over the next seven years is estimated at NOK 3.5 billion.

These agreements aim to streamline the plugging process, with a focus on efficiency and cost reduction. Archer Oiltools will be responsible for planning operations for 26 wells to be plugged from Island Innovator.

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