Offshore driller Odfjell Drilling will employ more than 200 staff in Norway as two new semi-submersible rigs will join the company's fleet this year.

Odfjell said on Wednesday that the new workers will be made up of operational staff, engineers and administrative support staff to support its growing activities in the North Sea. To recall, Deepsea Nordkapp was handed over to Odfjell on January 7th, while the driller entered into a management agreement with CIMC Raffles for Beacon Atlantic on March 19th.

the two new 6th generation semi-submersibles will be mobilized for drilling operations on the platform Norwegian mainland later this year.

According to the company, the Deepsea Nordkapp sailed from Samsung in Korea to the North Sea and is expected to arrive at CCB, Ågotnes around April 8th, remaining at the shipyard for around three weeks before starting Aker BP operations in the second quarter of 2019.

Aker BP awarded Odfjell a two-year firm drilling contract for the rig at the end of April 2018. Aker BP also has optional 1+1 year periods for the rig.

It is worth noting that Polish oil company PGNiG signed an agreement with Aker BP on March 26 to lease the Deepsea Norkapp to drill the Shrek prospect in the Norwegian Sea.

PGNiG plans to start drilling the Shrek well between 1 September and 30 November 2019, following the completion of drilling production wells in the Skogul and Ærfugl fields operated by Aker BP.

Beacon Atlantic is currently at the CIMC raffle yard in Yantai, China, completing final commissioning and sea trials. The unit is expected to leave the shipyard in early June and arrive in Norway three months later. Neptune Energy Norway's drilling operations will begin in the fourth quarter of 2019.

The estimated duration of the firm program for six wells is 400 days. Neptune will have options to extend the contract for another 10 wells.

Following these mobilizations, Odfjell Drilling will operate five semi-submersibles offshore Norway in 2019. In addition to these two, the company will operate Deepsea Bergen, Deepsea Atlantic and Deepsea Stavanger.

The company also has Deepsea Aberdeen in operation on the UKCS plus platform at 14 installations in Norway and the UK.