BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.18
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
All the hybrid, low-emission upgrades on the Maersk Intrepid hybrid rig are expected to be completed by mid-2020, Maersk Drilling, a drilling rig operator based in Copenhagen, Denmark, told Trend.
“The hybrid, low emission upgrades include several different technologies, i.e. installation of batteries to facilitate energy storage, dedicated Energy Emissions Efficiency software to monitor and optimize energy use, and installation of SCR units to reduce NOx emissions,” said the company.
Maersk Drilling said these are implemented in different steps, and are underway on Maersk Intrepid which is expected to be the first rig to have all the hybrid, low-emission upgrades completed by mid-2020.
The company also talked about the prospects for modernization of its fleet.
“Maersk Drilling generally seeks to optimize our fleet in line with our unique business model. Any plans will be communicated to the market in due time,” said the company.
The hybrid rig is Maersk Drilling’s ambitious target for the ultra-harsh environment jack-up rig Maersk Intrepid which is entering a series of upgrades to convert it to a hybrid rig with low levels of NOx emissions, adding data intelligence to further reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
The upgrades are being carried out in cooperation with Maersk Intrepid’s current customer, Equinor, which has introduced compensation formats to stimulate emission reductions.
Maersk Drilling has successfully applied for project funding through the NOx Fund, a Norwegian industry fund dedicated to reducing NOx emissions.
The fund is contributing a grant of up to 80 percent of project costs, subject to verification of the emission-reducing upgrades, and has high hopes for the coming upgrades of Maersk Intrepid which it sees as a benchmark for the offshore industry.
Maersk Drilling is a drilling rig operator based in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a subsidiary of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group, established in 1972.
Maersk Drilling is a leading offshore drilling operator, working everywhere from the North Sea to Ghana to Timor-Leste. It is increasingly providing third-party services and partnering with its customers on innovative technologies and new commercial models. Together, the company is reducing the complexity, cost, and risk of drilling campaigns to improve the competitiveness of offshore oil and gas for its customers.
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