The new ultra-deepwater semi-submersible drilling rig Bluewhale 1 (formerly Frigstad Shekou) is en route to drill its debut well in the South China Sea’s Pearl River Mouth basin, targeting gas hydrates.
The rig, which was renamed and delivered by Chinese yard CIMC Raffles in mid-February, has been mobilised by operator China Petroleum Offshore Engineering (CPOE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
