Offshore drilling company Shelf Drilling has successfully obtained a two-well contract extension for its Shelf Drilling Fortress jack-up rig. This rig is currently under contract with China's CNOOC and is operating in the UK North Sea, specifically at the Golden Eagle offshore oil field.

The extension, with a firm term of approximately five months, brings the contract's total value to around $18 million. The rig is expected to remain available until June 2024. Additionally, the contract includes options for two more wells, potentially extending the duration to a total of eight months.

The Shelf Drilling Fortress drilling rig is owned by Shelf Drilling North Sea, a subsidiary of Shelf Drilling. Previously known as Noble Sam Hartley, the rig became part of Shelf Drilling's fleet following the company's acquisition of five jack-up drilling rigs from Noble Corporation in October 2022. This acquisition was made to address competition concerns related to Noble Corporation's merger with Maersk Drilling.

Shelf Drilling continues to expand its presence and operations in offshore drilling, securing contracts and strengthening its fleet in key offshore regions.