ONGC, ABL move “record high” 45 drilling rigs ahead of India’s monsoon season

(WO) – India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), supported by ABL as tow master and marine warranty provider, has moved a record high 45 drilling rigs to new locations ahead of the Indian monsoon season. ONGC’s previous record was 37 rig moves.

The 45 rig moves of jack-up rigs were moved to their respective monsoon locations between end-March and end-May 2024.

ABL acted for ONGC’s underwriters and their appointed consultants for the rig moving campaign. Under this agreement, ABL provides marine warranty services to ONGC’s fleet of fleet of jack-ups and mobile offshore production units in Indian waters.

In total, ABL has supported 113 rig moves offshore India as Tow Master / MWS within this season from September 2023 to May 2024. The combined total distance travelled for all rigs was 5,477 nautical miles.

“Even normal weather conditions pose significant challenges to both the tow master and marine warranty surveyor who must consider environmental, tidal, bathymetric and soil conditions. Such a substantial rig moving campaign therefore depends on seamless cooperation between marine warranty surveyors, tow master, geotechnical engineers, back-office personnel, rig operators and ONGC. We look forward to collaborating with ONGC and third-party rig operators when the new season commences in September 2024,” says Captain Stephen Craig, ABL’s director for rig operations.

ABL, which is part of Oslo-listed ABL Group ASA, is an independent energy and marine consultancy specialising in solutions to de-risk and drive the energy transition across renewables, maritime and oil and gas sectors.