Recognising the rig’s outstanding performance across all parameters, Shell has chosen Maersk Convincer as Jack-Up Rig of the Year 2020. The rig has now won this award for three consecutive years. 

Since arriving in Brunei Darussalam in autumn 2017, Maersk Convincer has consistently been one of the best performing drilling rigs in Shell’s employ. Maersk Drilling’s successful customer relationship with Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) dates back to 2007, and Maersk Convincer will this year be joined by the drillship Maersk Viking which is set to commence operations in Brunei Darussalam in March.

“It’s truly wonderful to see the good collaboration we have established here with BSP, and we hope to create more exciting history by continuing to focus on efficient and sustainable drilling in our partnership. 2020 was a challenging year where the team had to weather some storms due to the global pandemic that affected everyone’s lives. That we were able to deliver continuous operations throughout the year is a huge achievement, and it’s icing on the cake to secure a hat-trick of Rig of the Year awards with Shell,” says Ricky Liew, Assistant Rig Manager, Maersk Convincer.

Top performance in global benchmarking

“2020 was a year full of challenges but the rig team has been able to prove their resilience throughout the year by ensuring safe delivery without any interruption to operations. On top of the exceptional operational performance and the teams’ initiatives towards safer and cleaner well operations, one key contributor to success was the people that truly demonstrated solid integration and collaboration. The team has stepped up to keep the business running as they managed the impact of the pandemic. Local Bruneian staff took on greater responsibility as they were accelerated into leadership roles which also meant taking on longer shifts to help manage the unconventional crew changes. Expat staff took on longer shifts and spent long periods of time away from their families to manage the risk of exposure and also to keep things running,” says Amir Hamzah, Rig Superintendent Convincer, Brunei Shell Petroleum.

Shell uses a system including a variety of parameters to benchmark rigs across the globe and describes the awards as follows:

The awards recognise outstanding contributions to Shell’s goals of achieving Goal Zero, performance delivery, excelling above the competition, and exhibiting the collaborative behaviours that lead to success for both companies.

Maersk Drilling has now won eight Rig of the Year awards from Shell during the last decade, with wins in both the jack-up and floater categories.

“This achievement makes us enormously proud. The award is a recognition of Maersk Convincer’s excellent operational results as well as our focus on safe and responsible drilling. I want to congratulate everyone involved in this impressive team effort, including the rig team, our offshore colleagues, and our partners with the customer and service companies who have all contributed to the great collaboration around our campaign,” says COO Morten Kelstrup of Maersk Drilling. “To me, this award is also a testament to how well aligned Shell and we are, from safety through operations to how we collaborate and develop our business models to one aligned purpose.”

Maersk Convincer is a Baker Pacific Class 375 cantilever jack-up designed for year-round operation. It was delivered in 2008. 

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Maersk Drilling