Oslo-listed jack-up drilling major Shelf Drilling has secured a two-well contract extension for the Shelf Drilling Fortress rig for a mystery client.

A subsidiary of Shelf Drilling — Shelf Drilling North Sea — on 2 October confirmed a five-month extension for the rig.

The contract value is about $18 million, with the drilling unit now not available until June 2024. The extension includes options for an additional two wells, with a total estimated duration of eight months.

Shelf Drilling Fortress previously announced it had secured a two-well firm contract plus four optional wells with CNOOC in the UK.

That charter, which was worth about $17 million for the firm period, was expected to begin last month — suggesting that the contract extension is with the Chinese operator.

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