Trident Energy, in collaboration with its joint venture partners, had planned an island drilling campaign. It is comprised of three wells on Block G, located offshore Equatorial Guinea in West Central Africa. Trident Energy has terminated the deal with Island Drilling due to safety concerns. Which has led to the pause of the drilling operation.

The company has halted the drilling campaign until they secure a new rig that can ensure the safety and well-being of all those involved. As soon as a new rig is found and safety concerns are addressed, the drilling operation will resume.

In September 2022, Trident signed a contract to rent the Island Innovator rig for two confirmed wells and five optional ones. However, in July 2023, the company decided to exercise two of those options for drilling purposes. This led to an additional 85 days of contracted work in Equatorial Guinea. Later in September 2023, Trident extended the backlog of the semi-submersible rig by exercising one more option on behalf of another operator in the same region. This move further extended the rig’s contractual obligations, bringing Trident one step closer to its drilling goals.

A drilling campaign was initiated at Block G last month with a rig that was constructed in 2012. The campaign aimed to drill three infill wells, with the first well expected to start producing by the end of the first quarter of 2024. All three wells were supposed to be operational by mid-year. However, Trident, the company involved in the project, has recommended the termination of the rig contract. Depending on how quickly they can procure a new rig, the work may affect the drilling and production start-up schedule.