Prosafe wins £49m Mariner deal with Statoil

Offshore accommodation specialist Prosafe has landed a deal, worth at least $76.3 million (£49m) to provide a support rig for Statoil’s development of the massive Mariner project in the North Sea.

On-site operations are due to begin in April 2016, and Cyprus-based Prosafe said the contract covers an initial period of eight months, with the potential for four extra one-month options.

Statoil and its junior partners – JX Nippon Exploration and Alba Resources, a subsidiary of Cairn Energy – announced the revival of the £4.6 billion Mariner project in December.

Discovered in 1981, Mariner was left dormant because of low flow rates and other technical challenges that would have made it unprofitable. However, new technologies, rising oil prices and a more favourable tax regime have revived its fortunes.

Statoil took over the licence as operator in 2007, and has a 65.1 per cent stake in the project. JX Nippon has a 28.9 per cent interest in the field, and Alba a 6 per cent stake.

Oslo-listed Prosafe also said Statoil has granted it an eight-month option, starting in April 2017, to support its Bressay project in the North Sea.